The Department of Justice has created a panel of prosecutors to conduct preliminary investigation into the criminal complaints filed against Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Wilkins Villanueva, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, and other officials and personnel for their alleged failure to detect a shabu shipment worth P1 billion in 2019.
Prosecutor General Benedicto A. Malcontento, head of the DOJ-National Prosecution Service, said the panel is headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Rassendel Rex Gingoyon with Assistant State Prosecutors Mary Jane Sytat and Ethel Rea Suril as members.
The panel will probe the complaints filed last February 23, 2021 by the National Bureau of Investigation-Task Force Anti-Illegal Drugs (NBI-TFAID) against Villanueva, Guerrero and other PDEA and Bureau of Customs officials and personnel.
The complaint arose from the alleged failure of the officials and personnel to detect the shipment of “tapioca starch” from Cambodia in 2019, which was found to contain 171 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, hidden in 30 aluminum pallets.
The NBI seeks for the prosecution of Guerrero, BOC Deputy Commissioner Raniel Ramiro, and former PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino for violation of Section 4(c) of Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees.
They were also charged with violations of Section 3(e) of RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, together with Villanueva and 17 other government officials and personnel — Joel Plaza, Aldrin Albarino, Jigger Montallana, Melvin Estoque, Mark Malibiran, Judith Rigo, Dorcas Repolles, Noilan Avila, Mark Espiritu, Marc Anthony Marero, Cesar Carlo Bilowan, Alejandro Noble, Kathryn Joy Dionio, Koden Dario, Ivy Joy Nitura, Vincent Puti and Rory Dela Torre.
Nitura and Puti were also charged with violation of Section 27 of RA 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The bureau also said all these officials and personnel should be charged administratively with grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
In the case of Aquino, Guerrero, and Ramiro, the NBI said they should also be charged administratively with serious dishonesty.
PDEA personnel Daniel Martinez, Mark Erick Espiritu, and Lester Matobago, and private individuals Muktasil Abundol Asimuddin, Alexander Jun Wah Ting Lee, Aaron Talingting, John Mark Macapagal, Joyce Anne Tumang, Emmanuel Delos Reyes Landicho, Maria Feliza Gonzales, George S. Fernandez, and a certain “Mr. Ke” were charged with violations of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
