PDEA chief: Gadapan sacked for leaking info to drug suspect

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Jose Gutierrez yesterday said his former deputy, Carlos Gadapan, was sacked because he allegedly connived with a Filipino-Chinese drug suspect and leaked confidential information to him that may have jeopardized the agency’s anti-drug operations.

Gutierrez said his “loss of confidence” in Gadapan stemmed from the latter’s move to establish contact with the suspect, who was “subject of ongoing PDEA operations.”

The PDEA chief said Gadapan’s move prompted the drug suspect to ask the court to issue a writ of habeas data over the agency’s derogatory information against him and exclude him from its list of drug suspects.

“This is the last straw,” Gutierrez told the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

He said he stripped Gadapan of his “power to sign” pre-operations report last July 1 because he was deemed a security risk to the PDEA’s anti-drug operations.

“Gadapan’s disclosure is a total operational blunder, (making him) a security risk,” the PDEA chief added.

The signing of pre-operations report is ‘highly confidential,” Gutierrez said.

Gadapan, meanwhile, said his relief was the “hardest part of his life and his family.”

He said he is supportive of the move of President Aquino to allow the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the PDEA’s activities. 

“This is the moment of truth. As they say, the truth will set us free,” he added.

Gadapan also asked the Senate to issue a subpoena duces tecum to Gutierrez for a copy of the report he submitted to the President.

Swapping charges

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, whose privilege speech triggered the probe on the PDEA issue, cited the need for Gutierrez and his deputies to establish good working relationship.

Sotto noted that Gadapan was dumbfounded when confronted by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago over his relief as security officer of Standard Chartered Bank and some personal matters about Gapadan’s wife, his alleged relationship with another woman, and gambling activities.

Gutierrez alleged during the hearing that Gadapan was compelled to resign as security officer of Standard Chartered Bank allegedly due to his gambling problem.

But Gadapan denied Gutierrez’s accusations, saying he resigned because he could not adjust to his job in the private company.

During the hearing, Gadapan maintained that Gutierrez’s wife was hooked on gambling.

Meanwhile, senators said that it was President Aquino prerogative’s to fire an appointee.

“In his case, he went public accusing his immediate boss of this and that. Don’t you accept the fact that as a presidential appointee, you serve at the pleasure of the President?” Santiago said.

“The President does not have to prove or present any evidence of wrongdoing. He can just say, I’ve lost confidence in you, that is his prerogative,” she added.