NBI files drug rap vs nine over P6.4-billion shabu shipment controversy

By Kristine Joy V. Patag
Reporter

NINE individuals, including two traders, tagged in the P6.4-billion illegal drugs shipment controversy now face drug charges at the Department of Justice (DoJ).

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday, Aug. 14, filed charges against businessman Chen Ju Long also known as “Richard Chen” and Dong Yi Shen aka “Kenneth Dong,” broker Mark Ruben G. Taguba II, Li Guang Feng aka “Manny Li,” Fidel Anoche Dee, Chen I. Min, Jhu Ming Jyun, Teejay A. Marcellana and Eirene May A. Tatad.

The nine are accused of violating Section 4 (Importation of Dangerous Drugs and/or Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The NBI Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (AOTCD) filed the 15-page letter complaint on Monday, but a copy was released to reporters only yesterday.

Messrs. Li, Dong, and Taguba, meanwhile, are facing a separate complaint for alleged violation of the Republic Act 9280 or the Customs Brokers Act of 2004.

“Subjects, through their indispensable cooperation, caused the importation of five wooden crates from China,” the NBI complaint reads.

Based on the results of the NBI probe, a shipment containing methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” was seized by authorities in the Chen-owned warehouse of Philippine Hongfei Logistics Group of Companies in Valenzuela City.

The shipment, with the label of other commodities such as shoes and cosmetics, contains cylinders packed with a total of 605 transparent plastic bags of shabu.

Mr. Chen then tapped Mr. Li, a Chinese businessman, for the release of the shipment which is one of the latter’s businesses in the Philippines.

“[Mr.] Li approached [Mr.] Dong, and sought his help to find a broker who will handle the importation of clients,” the NBI recalled in its complaint. Through Mr. Dong, Mr. Taguba — who faced both houses of the Congress for their respective inquiries — and Mr. Marcellana acted as brokers.

Ms. Tatad, for her part, owns EMT Trading, which was said to be used by Messrs. Taguba and Marcellana as importer or consignee for the shipment. However, two Taiwanese nationals, Messrs. Min and Jhu, were identified by Chinese authorities as the real owners of the said shipment.

Mr. Dee, identified as the consignee of the delivery, was arrested by authorities upon receiving the shipment.

Mr. Taguba, in his testimonies before the House of Representatives and the Senate, claimed that five major officials of the BoC took bribes to facilitate his shipments. He identified them as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Teddy Raval, Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Vincent Philip Maronilla, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Director Neil Estrella, MICP-CIIS District Intelligence Officer Teodoro Sagaral and Import Assessment Service (IAS) Director Milo Maestrecampo.

In a related development, Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, together with NBI Deputy Director Vicente De Guzman, presented Mr. Dong to the media late afternoon yesterday, following his arrest by the NBI at the Senate where he attended Tuesday’s hearing on the controversial shipment.

Mr. Aguirre said the NBI “found out that he [Mr. Dong] has a pending warrant.”

“The case is for a rape under the Regional Trial Court of Parañaque,” Mr. Aguirre also said, adding: “At this point, we don’t have details of the case. The warrant was just issued last June 30, 2017.”

Mr. De Guzman, for his part, said the rape case is a “distinct and separate case as against the drug case that the Senate is hearing.”

“This is the personal case of [Mr.] Dong,” Mr. De Guzman added.

The NBI official said it is the NBI’s duty to do a background check on personalities involved in controversial cases, which led to the arrest of Mr. Dong yesterday at the Senate probe.

Mr. Dong’s lawyer, Karla Denise Frias, for her part, said her client is not hiding from the authorities on the case. She cited that “pending motions in court” on the said arrest of Mr. Dong.

Apart from Mr. Dong’s arrest on Tuesday, Senate blue-ribbon committee chairman Senator Richard J. Gordon briefly suspended the hearing into the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of crystal meth or shabu to try and convince Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon to respond to questioning by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV.

It was Mr. Faeldon’s first appearance at the inquiry after missing the last hearing when he was hospitalized for heart issues.

After Mr. Gordon’s opening statement, Mr. Trillanes asked Mr. Faeldon if there is corruption in the Bureau of Customs.

When Mr. Faeldon asked for 30 seconds to reply without interruption, Mr. Trillanes cut him off saying the question could be answered with a “Yes” or “No.”

Mr. Faeldon then clammed up, saying it would be “pointless for me to answer” questions from Mr. Trillanes, whom he accused of spreading “baseless” accusations and judging him in media.

Mr. Gordon appealed to Mr. Faeldon several times and then called a recess to speak to him privately when the Customs chief said he would answer questions from other senators except Mr. Trillanes.

The hearing resumed when Mr. Faeldon agreed to respond to Mr. Trillanes. — with a report by interaksyon.com