The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Wednesday reserved its right to pursue available remedies relative to the recommendation of the National Bureau of Investigation to file graft and corruption charges against its former and incumbent officials, and anti-narcotics agents in connection with the smuggled P1 billion worth of shabu in 2019.
Director General Wilkins Villanueva, who took over the agency on May 22, 2020, said he had nothing to do with the matter since he was still the regional director of the PDEA Regional Office 10 in Northern Mindanao at that time.
“The incident happened during the previous PDEA administration,” PDEA’s statement read.
“Although the PDEA has yet to receive a copy of the NBI report, the agency is ready to answer every allegation,” it said.
“PDEA officials and agents who were implicated in the investigation are ready to clear their names in the proper forum,” it added.
The NBI recommended the filing of graft charges against ex-PDEA chief Aaron Aquino, Villanueva, Bureau of Customs chief Rey Guerrero, Deputy Commissioner Raniel Ramiro and several drug operatives for alleged failure to detect the shabu shipment worth P1 billion two years ago that were found to be hidden in aluminum pallets in a tapioca starch shipment.
Meanwhile, PDEA said it respects the decision of Judge Amelia Lourdes Mendoza of the 7th Judicial Region, Branch 34, Regional Trial Court in Negros Oriental on the guilty verdict of indirect contempt against five of its agents.
“PDEA, as the lead agency in the national anti-drug campaign of the government, is bound to abide, obey and follow all decisions of the courts,” its statement read.
“PDEA assures the public of its dedicated, determined and committed public service in its vision of a resistant, and self-policing communities in the future,” it further stated.
