Minority senators join call for probe into P6.8-B shabu shipment
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Senate minority have also filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the reported entry of a shabu shipment worth P6.8 billion that supposedly slipped past the Bureau of Customs.
Earlier this month, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Philippine National Police and the BOC seized around 500 kilograms of shabu contained in magnetic lifters at the Manila International Center.
The PDEA and the PNP also received information that similar magnetic lifters were delivered to a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. The magnetic lifters were believed to contain an estimated one ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion.
In Senate Resolution 849, Sens. Antonio Trillanes IV, Risa Hontiveros, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino and Leila de Lima said the repeated incidence of huge shipments of smuggled drugs slipping past through the Customs should serve as a wake-up call.
Such incidents should call for investigations into the possible "malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance" by Customs officials and employees.
"Whereas, the massive amount of illegal drugs is now feared to be circulating the streets further worsening the drug menace in the country," the resolution read.
"Thus, urgent investigation on this matter is imperative to ensure that this blunder will be prevented from happening again," it added.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao earlier filed Senate Resolution 843 calling for hearings on the supposed shabu smuggling.
In his resolution, Pacquiao said despite that the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, “drug syndicates seem to have maintained links with government officials or employees who willingly facilitate the entry of contraband into the country.”
He also said there is urgent need to address the apparent lack of coordination among the BOC, PDEA and the Philippine National Police.
Duterte, Customs play down supposed smuggling
President Rodrigo Duterte has disputed PDEA's claim that the magnetic lifters in General Mariano Alvarez contained shabu.
“There was nothing there. They presumed it was filled with shabu and made assumption on the prices,” Duterte said earlier this week. “You do not go into speculative content. You must be very sure that you have the goods.”
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña on Tuesday told a House panel that the magnetic lifters tested negative for drugs in a swab test.
"The allegation that one ton of shabu is circulating in the market has no basis based on the result of laboratory analysis from the PDEA and PNP, the four magnetic lifters have no presence of dangerous drugs," he told lawmakers.
"As government authorities, we have to be prudent in providing unverified information to the general public to allay further fear and confusion," Lapeña also said.
In May 2017, a shabu shipment worth P6.4 billion from China also slipped through the BOC.
PDEA director general Aaron Aquino earlier claimed that some people in the BOC are conspiring with an international drug syndicate.
Aquino said Customs chief Lapeña may not be aware of the illegal activities of some of his subordinates.
“An international drug syndicate will never gamble in bringing illegal drugs here if they don’t have contacts within the Customs who will help facilitate the entry,” Aquino told GMA News last week.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the multibillion-peso shabu shipment.
The Justice chief has directed NBI Director Dante Gierran to form a team that would look into the incident.
“Considering the huge value of the illegal drugs involved, and the relative ease by which they were transported into Philippine territory, our investigation will consider all government agencies,” Guevarra said. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
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