Duterte: Rogue cops linking Chinese trader to drugs

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has declassified a report that links a group of former policemen and government officials to a Davao-based businessman allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

The President made the disclosure on Tuesday night as he vouched for the integrity of businessman Michael Yang but denied that he has appointed him as his adviser on economic affairs.

“Michael Yang was there in Davao 20 years ago. As a matter of fact, he is often seen with the ambassador of China,” said Duterte, whose presidency has banked on the campaign against illegal drugs and corruption.

In an impromptu press briefing after the induction of officers of the Malacañang Press Corps the other night, Duterte noted that Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua, who has a military background, could not be misled by Yang if the businessman is involved in illegal activities.

“Zhao is a military man and they have the most elaborate intelligence network. Would you think a military man would…” Duterte said, referring to China’s vast intelligence network.

Yang, who reportedly lives in a mansion in the posh Forbes Park in Makati City, was part of Duterte’s delegation during one of his official trips to China.  

Photos also showed Yang present at last August’s baptism of the son of former Customs chief and currently deputy administrator of Office of Civil Defense Nicanor Faeldon.

Before Duterte ordered his aides to release a copy of a dossier classified as “secret,” the President noted that some scalawags in uniform often target affluent Chinese nationals.

In the report, members of the group were identified as retired police colonel Eduardo Acierto, Col. Leonardo Suan, Supt. Ismael Fajardo Jr., Supt. Lorenzo Bacia, Insps. Lito Pirote and Conrado Caragdag, and Senior Police Officer 4 Gerardo Liwanag.

Duterte said Acierto was a co-accused of former police chief Alan Purisima in graft charges connected with the supposedly anomalous contract that the Philippine National Police (PNP) entered into with courier service company Werfast Documentary Agency Inc. in 2014.

Acierto was among the police officials who were also involved in a separate case of criminal and administrative complaints over the missing 1,004 AK-47 firearms allegedly sold to the New People’s Army several years ago.

The PNP is now investigating the police officers named in the report released by Malacañang on Tuesday night.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. admitted that the PNP has not filed any case against the police officers.

At present, Durana said the police officers named in the report have been relieved from their sensitive positions.

Durana said Suan has been reassigned to the Police Holding and Administrative Unit from his former assignment at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Bacia has been sent to ARMM from the Bicol region, while Pirote and Caragdag were sent to Cordillera Administrative Region from the Drug Enforcement Unit in Region 3. Liwanag was assigned to the Cagayan Valley.

“So far this is an intelligence information, a continuing investigation… not only these police officers but also other police officers who may have derogatory reports, especially in illegal drugs,” Durana added.

Web of crimes

In the report submitted to the President, it seemed that Fajardo and his group were also involved in a web of criminal activities.

Based on the dossier, Fajardo and his team were also involved in the arrest in early 2016 of former Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino and his alleged cohort Yan Yi Shuo alias Randy in connection with a P380-million drug case in Manila. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Pia Lee-Brago