Drug, gun charges vs Maguindanao optical clinic owner dropped

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Updated 7:35 p.m.) — The provincial prosecutor has dismissed the narcotics and illegal firearm possession cases that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency filed against the owner of an optical clinic in central Mindanao.

Tocod Ronda, deputy provincial prosecutor for Maguindanao, stated in a resolution dated April 2, 2018 that he found no merit in the charges filed by the PDEA-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao against Vicky Sinsuat Sangkigay of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

Copies of Ronda’s resolution were obtained by journalists only on Sunday.

Agents of PDEA-ARMM searched the house of Sangkigay in Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat on December 13 and allegedly found there three small sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and assorted firearms.

Ronda said there were doubts in the manner of the search, which was done without witnesses who can corroborate on how it was done.

Ronda explicitly said it was also incredible that Sangkigay, a businesswoman, would keep three small sachets of shabu in a branded bag containing more than P2 million in cash.

Ronda also stated in his resolution, docketed NPS XIV-05-INQ-17L-01638, that the firearms found in Sangkigay's house were covered by pertinent documents and mission orders.

Irate relatives of Sangkigay earlier said they could not believe she was involved in drug trafficking, pointing out that she owns a successful optical clinic with no derogatory records in the courts or with the Philippine National Police.

The PDEA-ARMM separately charged her with violation of Republic Act 9165, which prohibits keeping and sale of prohibited drugs and regulated substances, and Republic Act 10591, which outlawed possession of unlicensed guns.

Judge Bansawan Ibrahim of the Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in Cotabato City has ordered the PDEA-ARMM to return to Sangkigay the money recovered in her house that they were to use in her supposed prosecution.

Army and police intelligence agents said on Sunday the house of Sangkigay that PDEA-ARMM agents raided in December could not be described as a “hideout” of a drug dealer.

“We don’t think such a successful businesswoman would indulge into something illegal that would sully her name and destroy her multimillion eye-care business,” a senior Army intelligence officer based in an Army headquarters near Barangay Semba said when asked to comment on the case.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story identified Sangkigay as an optometrist instead of the owner of an optical clinic. This has been corrected.