The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday filed charges against 49 people with the Justice department for the P11 billion worth of shabu that slipped past the Bureau of Customs in August.
Among those charged were ex-PDEA deputy director general for administration Ismael Fajardo Jr., ex-police anti-illegal drugs group officer Sr. Supt. Eduardo Acierto, ex-Customs intelligence agent Jimmy Guban, Insp. Lito Pirote and Joseph Dimayuga.
Also included in the charge sheet were lawyer Zsae Carrie de Guzman, then chief of the Bureau of Customs’ X-ray inspection project; Benjamin Cajucom; Manuel Martinez; Gorgonio Necessario; Emily Laquingan; Myra Tan, and Dolores Domingo.
Ex-Customs chief Isidro Lapeña was not included, even though he headed the bureau at the time of the smuggling.
PDEA director general Aaron Aquino said there was no evidence that would link Lapeña to the shipment of shabu in August.
He said they would provide the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission a copy of their complaint to determine whether Lapeña could be held administratively liable or not.
He earlier said Fajardo has gone missing since October.
In August, the PDEA agents found four empty magnetic lifters at General Mariano Alvarez town in Cavite similar to the two abandoned lifters at the Manila International Container Port, which contained an estimated 500 kilos of shabu.
Aquino said their shabu-sniffing dogs sat down on the empty lifters as an indication that there were traces of shabu.
He then estimated that the lifters contained P6.8 billion worth of shabu, but later revised this to P11 billion.
The respondents were accused of importation of illegal drugs and conspiracy under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. They were also charged with obstruction of justice.
Aquino said his agency’s investigation showed the five main respondents had criminal liabilities.
“This is to inform the public that PDEA is serious to come up with airtight cases against all personalities behind illegal drug transactions,” Aquino said in an interview.
The PDEA chief also cited findings in the inquiries by both House of Representatives and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as bases for the charges.
Aquino said former BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña was not included in the charge sheet due to the lack of evidence linking him to the drug smuggling case.
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