SENATOR Antonio Trillanes on Tuesday said he has in his possession sufficient evidence that will link the son and son-in-law of President Rodrigo Duterte in the corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
He claimed Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and lawyer Maneses "Mans" Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, are the powerful hands behind the so-called Davao Group operating inside the BOC.
During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing into the P6.4 billion drug raid last May, Trillanes asked former Colonel Neil Anthony Estrella, director of Customs Intelligence Service, if he was aware of the Davao Vice Duterte and Mans Carpio as well as a certain Chris Bolastig.
Estrella admitted that he saw Bolastig twice. First when Faeldon assumed office in July last year and on another time, outside of Faeldon's office.
Estrella also admitted seeing Mans Carpio while leaving the office of resigned BOC Commissioner Faeldon but denied seeing Paolo Duterte.
Mans Carpio is the son of lawyer Lucas Carpio Jr. who is the brother of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.
In an interview, Trillanes said he cannot understand the business of Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio in the BOC as he confirmed that several witnesses attest that the two has been seen inside the BOC premises in several instances. He said Paolo Duterte twice visited Faeldon's office.
The senator said he will present his credible witnesses and at the same time proof that both Paolo Duterte and Carpio were negotiating at the BOC and are behind the Davao Group at the right time.
Faeldon a no-show at Senate hearing
Meanwhile, Faeldon was again a no-show in Tuesday's Senate hearing.
Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate blue ribbon committee, said Faeldon will be facing contempt if he will continue to ignore the invitation of the committee. He said the committee will be issuing a subpoena to oblige Faeldon to attend the next hearing.
Gordon said Faeldon should appear in the next hearing of his committee considering that he made revelations that need some explanations.
Another invited guest, Davao City Councilor Nilo "Small" Abellera, whose name was mentioned by customs broker Mark Taguba II, who allegedly got P5 million for the Davao Group was also a no-show in the Senate.
In a formal letter, Abellera said he is still recovering from uncontrolled hypertension and was advised by his doctor to rest and avoid stress but promised to attend succeeding hearings scheduled for August 31 or September 4, 2017.
Abellera, in a statement, denied knowing Taguba and engaging in any transaction with him, insisting his innocence by saying he has no knowledge or any participation in the shipment of shabu from China that is now the subject matter of the Senate blue ribbon panel investigation.
In his affidavit, Abellera described the testimony of Taguba as malicious. He admitted meeting a certain Jack in a resto-bar in Davao City but he refused to heed to the request of Jack to arrange a meeting with Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.
Chinese businessmen
At the same hearing, Gordon grilled Chinese businessmen linked to the alleged P6.4 billion worth shabu as they pointed fingers at each other and each denying the ownership of the shipment that contains illegal drugs.
Gordon said he will not accept the alibis of the Chinese businessmen and asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to get the communications of Manny Li, Richard Chen alias Richard Tan and the calls they received from a certain Tong Yun pin.
Tong Yun Pin is the consignor of the cargo and the person who allegedly sent the shipment of the illegal drugs from China through Hong Fei, a company owned by Chen.
Gordon confronted Chen as his affidavit did not match his statement in the Senate after the latter testified that his wife called him before China customs.
Chen, in his testimony, said Chinese customs told him not to deliver five crates because the one who sent it in Xiamen was arrested for illegal drug shipments.
Chen is the owner of Hong Fei Logistics that facilitated the shipment, through the help of Taguba, while Manny Li admitted that he was a sub broker.
Li also revealed that he was told to say that he knew Chen since
January but he said he only knew Chen only on May 26. Li said that the truth is that they first saw each other last June 6.
Li told Gordon that it was Chen who told him to hold on to a check worth P5 million to P6 million for 20 to 30 containers and admitted that he was puzzled why Chen wanted him to leave the Philippines and to "keep my cell phone on".
Aside from criminal complaints for violations of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, separate complaints for violations of the Customs Brokers Act of 2004 were also filed against Li, Kenneth Dong, and Taguba.
Dong, who is now detained at the Parañaque City jail, was also a no show in the Senate hearing because of the rape case filed against him.
All respondents in the complaints filed by the NBI have been issued an immigration look-out bulletin on orders by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
In its complaint, the NBI said that on May 26, 2017, it received information from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on the activities of a syndicate responsible for the proliferation of illegal drugs in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
It said it coordinated with the CIIS-BOC and their agents agreed to meet at Puregold in Valenzuela City. It said prior coordination was made with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Upon arrival at Puregold, the agents of the NBI Anti Organized Transnational Crimes Division (AOTCD) were told to meet the CIIS-BOC operatives at Hongfei’s warehouse in De Castro Subdivision, Paso de Blas, Valenzuela City, the NBI said.
It said that at Hongfei’s warehouse, the CIIS-BOC informed the NBI-AOTCD operatives that they already proceeded to the area at 2 a.m. and with the consent of the general manager of the said company and by virtue of a letter of authority entered the premises to conduct an inspection.
The NBI also said that its agents noticed that there were hundreds of clear plastic bags containing white crystalline substance already being laid out on the floor.
"Initial findings revealed that the white crystalline substances in the bags are methamphetamine hydrochloride or ‘shabu’ a prohibited drug. As a result, a total of 505 bags were inventoried and seized by the AOCTD operatives. The four cylinders and their crates were also confiscated," NBI said.
Gordon said he will not allow "turuan system" (finger pointing) among the suspects and insisted the need for the NBI to get the communication of Chen and Li to their contact in China. (VoxPop Philippines)