NBI widens probe of PDEA; more charges eyed

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By Nancy Carvajal
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The National Bureau of Investigation plans to file administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against agents of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency involved in the alleged robbery-extortion of an arrested drug lord.

Ross Galicia, chief of the NBI Reaction, Arrest, Interdiction Division (RAID) said the administrative charges against 16 PDEA agents, including the agency’s deputy director for intelligence, were prompted by the arrest and alleged extortion of P8 million from Marvin Sy Tan, a suspected drug lord.

He said more charges would be filed by NBI in the coming weeks based on the result of an investigation.

Galicia said the NBI investigation was not limited to PDEA agents recently linked to illegal activities but would cover the whole agency. “The instruction was to investigate the PDEA, not only the personalities,” he said.

Evidence planting

A source in the NBI who asked not to be identified said the investigation would also look into the supposed planting of evidence by PDEA agents. “Apart from planting of evidence, agents also frame up suspects and set up small ‘shabu’ (methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratories for the frame up,” he said.

The source also said three PDEA agents had submitted sworn statements naming PDEA officials supposedly involved in framing-up suspects.

“The investigation is now 80-percent complete,” the source said.

Dionisio authorization

Galicia disclosed that former PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago was linked to the selling of controlled chemicals used to manufacture shabu by a document which bore his signature. “He initialed a document approving the sale of the controlled chemicals,” he said.

Also charged with Santiago was Ma. Jesus Mendoza of the Finance Management Services of PDEA and a certain Edgardo Alpay of Green Planet Management Inc.

The NBI said controlled chemical substances in 210 drums were sold by Santiago to the Green Planet which in turn sold the reagents to another party.

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