Levistes have until Jan. 15 to submit ranch documents

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) has given Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste and his father Conrad until this Wednesday to submit documents on their family’s ranch in Lipa City, Batangas where a raid on Christmas Day yielded P420 million worth of shabu.

The two failed to appear before a DOJ panel of prosecutors investigating the drug case last Thursday, citing difficulty in going to Manila due to the Black Nazarene procession.

Three suspects arrested in the raid – Chinese Gary Tan and couple Argay and Rochelle Argenos – were presented before the panel, but were also not ready to submit their counter-affidavits.

They were also given until the next hearing to answer the drug possession charges against them.

The three were linked to the Mexican Sinoloa drug cartel.

Only former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste was able to attend last week’s hearing, accompanied by his lawyer, Cristina Buendia.

He submitted an affidavit that he is not the owner of the LPL ranch nor does he have any link to the arrested suspects.

“I am not the owner, lessor, lessee of the property. I have no knowledge of (or) participation in the management and/or lease of the property,” Leviste said in his three-page affidavit.

“I do not know and I have never met or would ever want to meet (the suspects). I have absolutely no knowledge or participation in any capacity whatsoever of their alleged or reported illegal activities whether in or out of the property,” he added.

He also submitted to the DOJ panel documents on the ownership of the ranch, which was leased to a certain Jorge Torres, the alleged leader of the drug syndicate.

The papers, which included articles of incorporation and Securities and Exchange Commission documents of his relatives’ firm LBJ Development Corp., showed that the ranch is owned by Leviste’s relatives and being run by his brother Conrad as corporate treasurer.

Also submitted was the contract of lease executed by LBJ, through its administrator Benedicto Orense and Torres, on June 18 last year, which showed that the latter rented the 10,000-square-meter property for P18,150 per month and had paid a one-year advance of P221,100.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said Leviste might be in danger of losing his parole grant after police tagged him as owner of the ranch.

But she clarified that this is not yet certain, as this is precisely the subject of the probe.

She cited Section 30 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), which penalizes the owner of a property or establishment “who consents to or knowingly tolerates or authorizes the use of a facility” in illegal drug production or trade.

Just last month, Leviste stepped out of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after being granted parole. He served time in jail for the 2007 killing of his long-time aide Rafael de las Alas.