Garbo protector of 3 drug lords – Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - Retired police deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr. is protecting at least three drug traffickers, President Duterte said yesterday as he continued his shame campaign against people with alleged links to the narcotics trade.

Duterte said two of the drug lords are behind bars but are still directing operations of their respective groups. He warned the two that if they tried to escape, “you will die.”

He identified them as Wu Tuan alias Peter Co, a drug triad member operating in Luzon and Metro Manila; and Herbert Colangco alias Ampang, who reportedly has links with the Parojinog drug syndicate and Kuratong Baleleng gang.

Both are serving time at the New Bilibid Prison.

“Talagang binabastos tayo… (They are really disrespecting us.) They are destroying the country. They are destroying the youth of the land. My appeal to them, since they are beyond redemption, they can stop and commit suicide because I will not allow these idiots to run their show. Not during my watch,” Duterte said.

“Peter Co, do not escape from prison. You will die. Colangco, never try to go out of prison. You will die,” he added.

Duterte also mentioned a certain Peter Lim alias Jaguar who is allegedly a member of a drug triad in the Visayas. Lim is still at large and reportedly goes in and out of the country.

“If he has friends here, tell him, the moment he lands at NAIA, he will die,” Duterte said.  

“Better tell him not to come back to the Philippines anymore. The moment he steps out of the plane, he will die. That is my assurance to the people of the Philippines. How? It doesn’t matter,” he added.

Duterte said all the three drug lords are from China.

Photo shows Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot, one of the five ‘narco generals’ tagged by the President, arriving for a press conference at Camp Crame yesterday. BOY SANTOS

He said retired police deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr. served as “protector” and “associate” of the drug lords.

“The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) will take care of him,” Duterte said.

Duterte said other Chinese nationals, as well as officials of the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and local officials are in cahoots with the drug lords who, he said, are now considered “persons of interest.”

Duterte showed what appeared to be a flow chart of persons involved in the narcotics trade.

He said he is still gathering information about the extent of the involvement of certain individuals, many of whom are mayors.

“I was asking for more dossier and I have to read the documents and reports from the intelligence gathering of the different branches. This is a mix of Chinese, mayors… many of them are mayors,” he said.  

“The other personalities in this matrix are persons of interest. Will they also die? I do not know.”

Solicitor General Jose Calida said the drug lords mentioned by Duterte belong to “level 5” or the top tier of the drug hierarchy. 

He said the five levels of syndicates are grouped according to capability to sell and quantity of drugs sold.

Calida said the police generals mentioned by Duterte last Tuesday belonged to the lower levels of the drug hierarchy.

Other active and retired police generals linked by Duterte to illegal drugs were retired police general and newly elected Daanbantayan, Cebu mayor Vicente Loot, former National Capital Region Police Office head Director Joel Pagdilao, former Quezon City Police District director Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio and Western Visayas regional director Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said they would step up measures to prevent the jailed drug lords from continuing their illicit activities.

He said about 75 percent of the drug trade all over the country are being cooked up or transacted inside the NBP.

Aguirre said he may let the drug lords remain inside Building 14, which once housed the electric chair chamber, or move them to Tanay, Rizal or the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo.

“In the long run, we are also contemplating of even transferring them to Caballo Island or an island in Palawan where there are no cell phone signals,” he said.

“Without cell phones, no transaction can be done inside Bilibid prisons by the drug lords,” he added. – Giovanni Nilles, Cecille Suerte Felipe