MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is prepared to present before the Senate proof of bribe offers for the release of three rich young men held for drug peddling, the agency chief told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Wednesday.

“We will just tell them what transpired, show them text messages we received about the bribes ... texts to officers who got direct offers,” PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said when reached by phone Wednesday.

The Senate has expressed interest in investigating the alleged P50-million bribe for the justice department’s dismissal of charges against the so-called “Alabang Boys”—Richard Santos Brodett, Jorge Jordana Joseph and Joseph Ramirez Tecson.

Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan has agreed to lead a Senate probe of the alleged bribe.

Major Marcelino

Santiago said the PDEA would present Major Ferdinand Marcelino, head of the agency’s Special Enforcement Service that led the Sept. 20 operations in Araneta Center in Quezon City and Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Some 60 tablets of Ecstasy, packs of marijuana, and several sachets of cocaine were found when the three suspects were arrested in buy-bust operations four hours apart three months ago.

Since their arrest, the young men have been detained at the 50-square-meter custodial center of PDEA’s Metro Manila Regional Office in Quezon City, getting daily visits from relatives, custodians and officials earlier told the Inquirer.

Bribe tries

Marcelino, whom Santiago described as an “incorruptible” operative, earlier disclosed three bribe tries for the trio’s release. The combat-tested former Marine officer said offers of P3 million to P20 million were made to him by parties related to the suspects.

Santiago said the PDEA was storing text messages, including one that especially piqued him, that “reliable sources” had sent the agency about the bribe offers.

“There was a message about me having received part of the money. The one who sent it was very definite that I received cash. The only question is where the money went. It means that there was an exchange of cash,” said Santiago, who has denied receiving a cent from the alleged bribe money.

“We’re very confident about this because the text messages are coming,” he said.

Zuño denial

The PDEA last week said that it received information about the P50-million bribe to state prosecutors that resulted in the dismissal of the case against the suspects.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño has denied that he and the prosecutors who investigated and reviewed the case had been bribed into recommending the dismissal of charges.

The PDEA said the Department of Justice dismissed drug charges against the suspects on Dec. 2 for “lack of probable cause,” a decision the agency decried citing solid evidence gathered during the buy-bust. The Dec. 2 resolution, with findings by state prosecutors Philip Quimpo and Misael Ladaga, was approved by Zuño.

Up for review

The case will be up for review after the holidays on orders of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, the agency said.

Santiago also maintained PDEA’s obligation to hold the suspects despite the recommendation to dismiss the case, citing a DoJ memorandum keeping drug suspects under the agency’s custody until the final resolution of the charges.

Under the DoJ Memorandum Circular No. 46, the PDEA may commit detainees to city jails when their cases are elevated to a court for trial.

Santiago said the memorandum was clear that the suspects could not be transferred until the resolution on the case became final and executory, which means that it has been signed by the justice secretary.

“The reason we are still holding [the suspects] is because of the memorandum,” he said.

Santiago expressed the hope that the Senate probe would lead to the review of the country’s anti-drug law in order to strengthen coordination between the PDEA and the DoJ.