A HOUSE leader on Wednesday urged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to dig deeper into the modus operandi and sources of illegal drugs of convicted drug queen Yu Yuk Lai and her daughter.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, made the call after PDEA agents seized more than P17 million worth of shabu and cash in two successive raids conducted Monday inside the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City where Yu Yuk Lai is incarcerated and a condominium unit near Malacañang Palace owned by her daughter Diana Yu Uy.
“I am urging PDEA chief Aaron Aquino to conduct a deeper probe into the modus operandi of the mother-and-daughter tandem—find out who their cohorts are, how they facilitate the importation of illegal drugs, and who their contacts are for local drug distribution,” Barbers said.
Aquino said Uy was using her rice retailing business located a few meters away from Malacañang Palace as a front to conceal her illegal drug activities while secretly stashing drug contraband inside the bags of rice that she delivered to the CIW.
“The PDEA should probe the possibility that Diana is also involved in rice smuggling where shabu and illegal drugs are being stashed and concealed to avoid detection. The data that could be derived from their seized cellular phones and other communications gadget could determine who their contacts are and their modus operandi,” Barbers said.
“The Philippine National Police should also probe why Diana had been provided several VIP security escorts reportedly by the PNP Police Security Protection Group and the Presidential Security Group. “This is too much. The PNP is providing VIP security to a suspected drug lord,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The PDEA NCR team, in cooperation with Bureau of Corrections, raided the correctional where Yu Yuk Lai is detained at 4 a.m. Monday and seized suspected crystal meth or shabu worth about P5.5 million and cash and checks worth P2 million.
Some 135 grams of shabu worth P945,000 was concealed in 27 panty liners, while 2 kilograms, worth P4.5 million, were in plastic packs and jars. There were also a million capsules containing suspected dangerous drugs and another million empty capsules.
The PDEA agents also seized 19 checks amounting to P633,593, a bank account under the name of Anna Sy Balmeo with a deposit of P1,501,934.36, and cash in various foreign currencies. A blank check book, five ATM cards, five mobile phones, one tablet, one pocket Wi-Fi, unused foils and empty sachets were also seized.
Three hours later, the same PDEA agents served a search warrant on the convict’s daughter, Diana Yu Uy, at Unit 3D, on the third floor of Jy J Condominium at 867 General Solano Street in San Miguel, Manila. The team found two kilograms of what they suspected was crystal meth worth P10 million.
Aquino said the Yus would be facing a complaint for possession of dangerous drugs, in violation of Section 11, Article II of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. An additional case will be filed against the older Yu for possession of drug paraphernalia, in violation of Section 12 of the same act.
All the seized bank accounts and checks during the operation will be forwarded to the Anti-Money Laundering Council and will be subjected to financial investigation and verification.