Retired generals back PDEA
By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:50:00 01/09/2009
Filed Under: Illegal drugs, PDEA-DOJ bribery issue
MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) Retired generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are backing the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and its chief Dionisio Santiago for enforcing drug laws "without fear of favor."
Mired in a bribery scandal involving a drug case against the so-called "Alabang Boys," the PDEA must be supported by "patriotic and decent" people for continuing to perform its mandated duties well, said the Association of General and Flag Officers, Inc. (AGFO) in a resolution.
"Through the years, the PDEA has been conscientious in the performance of its duties [and] in doing its mandated tasks, it has been subjected to a lot of innuendoes and brickbats, so as to discredit its good name its personnel," said the resolution.
"Patriotic and decent people should go out of their way to support a government agency that is performing its duties to the best of its abilities," it said.
The AGFO board of directors approved the resolution on Wednesday, a day after Santiago and PDEA agent, Marine Major Ferdinand Marcelino, reaffirmed at a hearing of the House committee on illegal drugs, claims they made earlier that bribes had been offered them to release the suspects.
The resolution, a copy of which was made available to reporters at Camp Aguinaldo on Friday, was signed by retired major general Jose Maria Solquillo and retired brigadier general Jaime Echeverria, the association's corporate secretary and chairman, respectively.
Marcelino said at the hearing on Tuesday that a relative of Joseph Tecson, one of the three suspects, had offered him a bribe of up to P20 million in exchange for the release of the suspects. The two other suspects are Richard Brodett and Jorge Joseph.
Brodett, Joseph and Tecson were separately arrested on September 20 in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City and the south gate of Araneta Center in Quezon City for carrying 60 tablets of Ecstasy, sachets of cocaine and packets of marijuana.
Santiago also informed lawmakers during the five-hour hearing that the "Alabang Boys" supplied illegal drugs to The Embassy Super Club at The Fort in Taguig City and other high-end bars in Makati City and Quezon City.
"Now, therefore, be it resolved by the board of directors of AGFO to express its full support to PDEA, under its director general Dionisio Santiago in its effort to implement the Philippine drug laws without fear of favor," said the group.
The retired AFP officers also agreed to furnish President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles a copy of the resolution.
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