Former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa on Monday refuted the claim of dismissed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales that he stopped the March 2012 anti-drug operation.
The operation, which targeted high-profile personalities, included a politician and an actress and other personalities found in a condo unit in Rockwell, Makati.
Testifying before the fourth hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs, Ochoa said he completely refutes the charge that he gave those instructions as alleged.
“As earlier mentioned, I don’t even know him,” said Ochoa who was referring to the late PDEA Asst. Sec. Carlos Gadapan.
In his earlier testimony, Morales told the committee chaired by Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa that Ochoa called Gadapan and ordered him to stop the said drug operation. This order was relayed to him by Gadapan so they did not proceed with the drug raid.
Ochoa also testified that “he can’t recall any occasion that he ever met or even talked to Gadapan.”
At the start of the Senate hearing, Dela Rosa quizzed Ochoa if he personally knows Gadapan. Ochoa answered in the negative.
He also denied that during his stint as Executive Secretary of the late President Noynoy Aquino, his Office got information on the supposed involvement in illegal drugs of PDEA’s targets.
Also, he had not seen the alleged pre-ops authority document signed by Morales, which was one of the topics for discussion of the Senate inquiry. Morales alleged it was disapproved by Ochoa.
When asked if Ochoa was aware that sometime in 2013, the Law Enforcement Integrated Office (LESIO) of Malacanang invited Morales, the former Cabinet official said he cannot recall exactly if that indeed took place.
“I only learned now when this hearing was conducted,” Ochoa said.
“And and I, somehow, very very vaguely, if there was an incident that happened, but I’m not so sure if … because it was never…I was never informed of such meeting and even after that meeting, there was no report submitted to me with regard to what transpired in that meeting,” related Ochoa.
Ochoa said he also has no idea why Morales linked him to the PDEA leaks.
Ochoa confirmed that First Lady Liza Araneta was a former partner in the MOST Law Firm which was established in 2006.
However, he left the law firm after being appointed Executive Secretary.
He rejected insinuations that he ordered a stop in the drug operation after being influenced by a partner on the law firm.
Meanwhile, Morales and Eric Santiago were jailed at the Senate detention facility after they were cited in contempt for repeatedly lying.
Senators accused Morales whom they described a “polluted source,” of making up stories and telling lies. He allegedly lied even in his Personal Data, particularly in his record service.
He also concealed that he was dismissed from the Philippine National Police and PDEA due to several charges.
Santiago, a former National Police Commission (Napolcom) employee, was among those seen on the video submitted by Morales to the Committee. A recording of the video indicated there was a plot to kill him.
Santiago said he fabricated all he said in the video because he wanted to be invited to the hearing.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Former ES Paquito Ochoa testifies at the Senate committee hearing on PDEA leaks