DOJ: Operation to free Chinese drug traffickers well planned

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima acknowledged yesterday that the operation to snatch detained Chinese drug lord Jackson Dy and two others from jail guards in Trece Martires, Cavite last week was well planned.

De Lima confirmed that there were efforts as early as August 2011 to take the three out of incarceration.

“There was an attempt but it was aborted because we tightened our safeguard and security measures. I don’t know what happened recently, perhaps there was some laxity again,” she told reporters.

She said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents would meet today Chief Superintendent Federico Laciste, deputy director of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) South Luzon, to determine what happened.

Laciste claimed the DOJ has been aware of a plot to “rescue” Dy as early as 2011.

He said he had submitted a letter to DOJ in August 2011 to inform the agency about the alleged efforts to rescue Dy, whose Chinese name is Li Lan Yan, his wife Wang Li Na, and Li Tian Hua from the Cavite provincial jail.

“I think Gen. Laciste will share very sensitive information with me,” De Lima said.

The three drug dealers, who had previously been convicted of drug trafficking in Parañaque City, had left the Cavite jail and were on their way to a court hearing in Trece Martires when 20 armed men snatched them from their four jail guards last Feb. 20.

De Lima said she is specifically interested to find out why the three drug dealers were not transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City when the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court convicted them of drug charges on April 29, 2009.

The three were standing trial in a separate drug case in Cavite and were on their way to court.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has already placed the three Chinese in the agency’s lookout list to prevent them from slipping out of the country.

De Lima issued yesterday a lookout bulletin order for the BI to immediately arrest the fugitives should they try to leave the country.

In a memorandum, De Lima also tapped the BI to get additional information about the three drug dealers, including their full names, known aliases, dates and places of birth, copies of passport and latest photos.

“You are directed to take all other appropriate actions, including but not limited to, coordinating with other concerned offices and agencies, and even airlines, especially since international passengers are customarily required to check-in a specified number of hours before their flight,” she said.

De Lima, however, said they have not received information indicating Dy and the other two have already left the country.

Dy was considered one of the biggest drug lords before his arrest in 2003.

Lawmen seized from the suspect about P500-million worth of shabu and equipment used in manufacturing the drug.

He was the owner of a shabu laboratory in Barangay Kapipisa in Tanza, Cavite as well as three shabu warehouses in Quezon City, Pasay City and Parañaque City at the time of his arrest.

Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, CALABARZON police regional director, said investigators are looking for the wife of a barangay chairman in Imus, Cavite who was earlier arrested for allegedly aiding in the escape of the three Chinese drug dealers.

Estipona said the wife of Leovino Fontanila, chairman of Barangay Bayang Luma in Imus, Cavite knew the other armed men who snatched the three Chinese.

He explained that Fontanilla’s wife, whose name was withheld, knew the leader of the armed men because they both come from Ozamis.

Police earlier claimed that members of the Ampang-Colangco-Ozamis robbery group, who were paid P50 million, helped the Chinese drug dealers escape.

Police said Fontanilla hired Rodel Cambongga, Emiliano Quilicol and Rene Bersales and promised to pay them P150,000 each for the job.

The three suspects were arrested by the police.

Estipona said that the provincial jail guards who were escorting the three Chinese drug dealers, are also under investigation. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe