SENATOR Richard Gordon lashed out Wednesday custom officials who did not follow procedures to coordinate with concerned agencies upon receiving information on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment from China.
Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, grilled Neil Estrella, director of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service; and Chinese businessman Richard Tan alias Richard Chen, Chen Yu Long, and Ken Joo Lung during the continuation of the hearing on the seizure of 604 kilograms of shabu from a warehouse in Valenzuela City on May 26.
Estrella admitted that they were notified about possible drug shipment but opted to verify first the information which was the reason why they did not call the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The BOC earlier admitted it had acted on an intelligence report from Zhang Xiaohui, director of International Enforcement Cooperation Division of Anti-Smuggling Bureau, General Administration of China Customs.
But Estrella said that he took the chance and decided to proceed first to the warehouse to validate the information given to him by Tan.
"I trust PDEA but I had only raw information on supposed shabu shipment. And because I had doubt, I asked Mr. Tan to sign a paper allowing us to search the goods and to take us to the warehouse,"
Estrella revealed during the hearing as he admitted calling Customs Chief Nicanor Faeldon only after his inspection.
The BOC Chief was a no show in the Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Gordon described the move of Estrella as unbelievable insisting that the evidence in the warehouse was contaminated because of what Estrella did.
The senator maintained that Estrella should have used the proper search warrant and should have contacted PDEA or the National Bureau of Investigation to do the proper inspection as required by law.
"The whole system in customs warehouse raid reeks of corruption," Gordon said during the hearing.
PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña who was present during the hearing said this move by the BOC violates the procedure as he expressed support to Gordon’s view that the evidence was considered contaminated and could no longer be admissible in court.
Chinese businessman Tan, owner of Hongfei Logistics, revealed that China Customs informed him of the illegal drugs in the shipment brought into his warehouse.
Tan who spoke only in Chinese told senators through an interpreter said this Chinese authority is from Xiamen Customs Police. It was the same Chinese officer, Mr. Wang Xi Dong, who asked him to contact a local counterpart because the goods that he received included illegal drugs.
This is why he contacted Estrella and asked him to come to his warehouse at No. 5510 Aster St. de Castro Subdivision, Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City.
Tan said that he personally coordinated with the raiding team and voluntarily submitted himself to the Senate, to tell the truth.
He urged the Philippine government to coordinate with Chinese Custom police to validate his claims.
He also told the committee that the shipment arrived on May 24 with the Bill of Lading states the content weighing 14,160 kgs and a volume of 68 cubic meters, contained cutting board, footwear, kitchen ware, and mould.
Gordon said he will recommend the filing of charges to BOC officials and those who are in cahoots with the illegal activities in the BOC.
Tan, Gordon said, will have to face the full force of law because he was part of this illegal trade even if Tan has been pronouncing his innocence before the investigating body.
"Bakit ka kumukuha ng consignee for hire kung legal and importation mo. Bakit hindi ikaw kung alam mo na walang hocus pocus ang negosyo mo?" Gordon asked Tan.
Gordon said the pronouncement of the concerned BOC officials and those in cahoots with them are no longer new to him.
"Bata pa ako ay palusot na 'yan diyan. Lahat kayo dapat kasuhan. Hindi pwede na sasakyan lang namin yung mga alibi niyo. Lumang tugtugin na yan na wala kayong alam at kinalaman. Sobrang laki ng nawawala sa
gobyerno," Gordon said.
'Dong's friends in Senate'
Meanwhile, expressing innocence, senators being linked to Cebu businessman Kenneth Dong, who was invited by the Senate blue ribbon panel after being identified by Mark Ruben Taguba II as the middleman of Tan, said anyone who will be found guilty should be brought to the bar of justice.
Those being linked to Dong include Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
Zubiri admitted knowing Dong when a friend introduced him to the senator several years ago.
"I was told that he is a legitimate businessman and an importer of Asuki Industrial weighing scales. I consider him a friend but I do not know what his dealing and business are except for his ownership of Asuki," Zubiri said.
Zubiri said he was even invited to be a sponsor at his wedding as he maintained that he is not aware of his illegal transactions.
"As a public servant, I meet a lot of people and do not prejudge them. Let it be said, however, that I do not condone any illegal act much more the involvement in the illegal drug trade. I always believe that no one is above the law. Should there be any evidence of Mr. Dong's involvement in said illegal drugs trade, he should be brought to the bar of justice," Zubiri said.
Aside from Zubiri, Senators Hontiveros and Pangilinan were also wedding sponsors as well as Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel and former Customs Deputy Commissioner Danny Lim.
Senator Recto was also one of the wedding sponsors but was not able to attend the said wedding ceremony in Cebu.
Dong, who is known in the Senate as being generous to everyone, was considered one of those who frequented the Senate in the past years and dropping by senators offices. He was even tagged as one of those donating funds and contributing raffle prizes to parties.
Based on reports, Dong was one of the contributors of Senator Villanueva who was then director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority during the campaign period in May 2016.
Admitting that she was really shocked to learn about his illegal drug trade connections, Hontiveros said Dong even texted her last week but she advised him to attend the hearing so he can answer point by point the questions of senators.
Hontiveros said anyone who breaks the law should be arrested as she maintained that she will never support anyone even friends or relatives if they are being linked to illegal drugs.
Villanueva and Pangilinan said Dong must tell the truth as they maintained that the law should prevail.
Villanueva said he is willing to inhibit in the blue ribbon proceedings to avoid possible tainting the committee report of the blue ribbon. (VoxPop Philippines)