House body foregoes Marcelino testimony in Bilibid probe
The House of Representatives justice committee decided to forego the testimony of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) official Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino in Thursday’s inquiry into the alleged drug trade inside the Bilibid.
During the resumption of the third day of the congressional inquiry in aid of legislation, chairman Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said the committee is foregoing the testimony and referring it to another committee, the House public order and safety committee.
READ: De Lima aide Sanchez, PDEA exec to testify in Bilibid probe
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Marcelino would testify that he was representative of the PDEA in a high-level meeting called by Senator then Justice secretary Leila de Lima about the Bilibid raid in December 2014 that resulted in the pull-out of 14 high-profile inmates who had been leading luxurious lifestyles inside Bilibid.
Aguirre said Marcelino’s testimony was crucial to prove that the Dec. 2014 raid led by De Lima and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to prove De Lima ordered the transfer of 14 inmates to the NBI quarters so that another inmate, Jaybee Sebastian, may control the drug trade there to raise campaign funds for De Lima. Sebastian was spared in the Dec. 2014 raid.
Aguirre said Marcelino’s testimony would back the testimony of Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Director Benjamin Magalong that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), which he used to head, was sidelined in the Dec 2014 raid that exposed the drug lords’ luxurious quarters.
“Yan po ay napakahalagang ebidensiya after General Magalong testified. Na-doble lakas if ever ang criminal case ng prosecution namin, na kaya pala itong 19 lamang ang pinadala sa NBI ay upang masolo ni Sebastian ang drug trade inside Bilibid. Yan ang testestify-an ni Col. Marcelino,” Aguirre said.
READ: Police kept out of raid, says high PNP official | Solons raise eyebrows over De Lima’s NBP raid sparing Sebastian
Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop both opposed the testimony, citing the pending drug case of Marcelino before the court.
Barbers said Marcelino’s affidavit looked like a curriculum vitae or a resume about his accomplishments at the PDEA.
Acting on a motion to refer Marcelino’s testimony to the House public order and safety committee, Umali said Marcelino also visited him in his office to say the former PDEA official does not want to testify in the Bilibid hearing.
“Marcelino came to my office, he came to me personally and said he does not want to be a witness to this hearing,” Umali said.
Just when the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the charges last June, the department acted on an appeal by the Philippine National Police and found basis to charge Marcelino and Chinese national Yan Yi Shou with possession of dangerous drugs three months later, or in September.
READ: DOJ files drug raps vs ex-PDEA exec Marcelino, Chinese cohort | DOJ dismisses drug case vs Lt. Col. Marcelino
The DOJ accused Marcelino and the Chinese national of violating Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs), Article II of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Marcelino was nabbed on January 21 in a raid on a shabu laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila, although he claimed he was doing surveillance work. CDG/rga
