Anti-illegal drugs authorities on Thursday asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council to look into the bank records of Marine Col. Ferdinand Marcelino after agents recovered P2.2 million worth of bank deposit slips during his arrest in Sta Cruz, Manila Thursday.
Senior Supt Leonardo Suan, Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group chief of staff said the PNP group made the request.
“The P2.2 million in back deposit slips are all under one bank. He [Marcelino] refused to comment on the bank deposit slips each time we ask about it. The biggest single deposit was P500,000,” Suan said.
Apart from the bank deposit slips, personal belongings, including P86,000 cash were also seized from him. The seized items were turned over to his legal counsel, Dennis Manalo in Camp Crame.
Marcelino’s lawyer said that drug syndicates might have a hand in the “misencounter” between the militaary and the police.
“The drug syndicates are definitely celebrating because of this misencounter,” Manalo said.
The misencounter had resulted in the misappreciation of facts to the disadvantage of Marcelino, the lawyer said,
Marcelino, former chief of PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service, along with Yan Yi Shou, alias ka Randy, a former PDEA interpreter in 2005 were arrested during a raid. Narcotic agents were surprised upon seeing Marcelino inside the raided townhouse.
Suan said they have also submitted Marcelino’s cellphone for forensic analysis to determine whether Marcelino has links to a clandestine shabu laboratory at a townhouse in Celadon Residence along Felix Huertas corner Batangas Streets in Sta Cruz, Manila.
The Marine officer will also be facing a case of illegal possession of firearms which was filed today following the seizure of a caliber .45 pistol with a expired license from his possession during his arrest.
At present, Suan said Marcelino has not yet presented a mission order or case operational plan.
The Army’s Intelligence Security Group (ISG) on the other hand issued a certification before the Department of Justice (DOJ) highlighting Marcelino’s intelligence operations against illegal drugs.
But Suan brushed aside the certification. “If there really is a mission order or a Coplan, it should come from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, being t the lead anti-illegal drugs agency of the country.”
Army Chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano, who is the former boss of Marcelino vouched for the integrity of Marcelino, whom he cited for his accomplishments during his stint at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
Ano also doubted claims that Marcelino was into illegal drugs operations.
On the part of the Chinese national, Suan said Yan has yet to execute his counter-affidavit, “that’s is just a delaying tactics. Yan is very fluent in Tagalog.” Yan was a former PDEA interpreter in 2005.
Both Marcelino and Yan are still detained at the AIDG detention cell in Camp Crame. With Rey Requejo