THE Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against importers, brokers and other individuals involved in the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment seized by the Bureau of Customs last May.
The DoJ prosecutors filed on Wednesday a complaint for the crime of importation of dangerous drugs under Section 4, in relation to Section 26 (a) of Republic Act No. 9165, of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, before the Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court.
On the other hand, the investigating fiscals led by Assistant State Prosecutor Aristotle Reyes dismissed the complaint of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for conspiracy to import illegal drugs and protecting or coddling of drug traffickers under RA 9165, negligence and tolerance under Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code, and corrupt practices of public officers under Section 3 of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for lack of probable cause.
In a resolution, the DoJ approved the indictment of Chen Ju Long alias “Richard Tan” or “Richard Chen”, Li Guang Feng alias “Manny Li”, Dong Yi Shen Xi alias “Kenneth Dong”, Mark Ruben Taguba II, Eirene Mae Tatad, Teejay Marcellana, Chen Min, Jhu Ming Jhun and Chen Rong Huan.
The panel recommended no bail in the drug importation case file before the Valenzuela regional trial court for violation of Section 4, in relation to Section 26 (a) of Republic Act No. 9165.
“In finding probable cause against the above-named respondents for the importation of 602 kilograms of shabu, the Panel determined that the combination of the individual participation of each of the respondents, either as shipper, consolidator, facilitator, broker, financier, consignee, or warehouse lessee”•reveals a pattern of over acts indicative of conspiracy to import into the country the dangerous drugs,” the DoJ ruled.
The same resolution also cleared former commissioner Nicanor Faeldon and other former officials of the Bureau of Customs in the drug and criminal charges filed against them by the PDEA over the smuggling of 605 kilos of shabu shipment.
The DoJ cited a basis in clearing Faeldon PDEA’s “failure to state with clarity the acts or omission supposedly committed by the above-named BoC respondents that would constitute violation of the offense charged.”
“Further, the evidence adduced by the PDEA in support of the charges were insufficient to establish probable case. Thus, the Panel is constrained to take into consideration the defense raised by the respondents,” read the resolution.
Besides Faeldon, also cleared were former Customs Investigation and Intelligence Service chief Neil Anthony Estrella; former director Milo Maestrecampo; intelligence officers Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valiente; Manila International Container Port district collector lawyer Vincent Phillip Maronilla; Faeldon’s fiancé, lawyer Jeline Maree Magsuci; and BoC employees Alexandra Ventura, Randolph Cabansag, Dennis Maniego, Dennis Cabildo and John Edillor.
The panel also dismissed the charges against Emily Anoche Dee for maintaining a drug den, citing lack of knowledge on the part of Emily that her property being rented would be used as a transshipment point of the subject drugs.
They also cleared the corporate officers of Hong Fei Logistics due to failure of the PDEA to show these corporate officers knowingly consented to or actively participated in the importation of the subject shipment.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said “the filing of the information in this case is one way to eradicate this threat for the better future of our youth and loved ones.”
“We want to send a message that any involvement in drugs will be severely dealt with. You deal in drugs and you will suffer the full consequences!
To those who are still involved in drugs, we are coming for you,” he warned.