Duterte ‘secret special report’ bares drug links of active, ex-PNP, PDEA, BoC execs

A “secret special report” released by President Rodrigo Duterte has identified active and former top officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Customs who were allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

The report, which the President ordered to declassify and released to the media on Tuesday, showed the alleged drug links of several law enforcement officials in the country.

The report implicated former PDEA deputy director general for administration Ismael Fajardo Jr., who was fired from his post on September 14 by PDEA director general Aaron Aquino, for his alleged involvement in the drug trade.

Despite being “known in the community as a scorer or one who delivers accomplishments,” the report said Fajardo “is branded as a recycler of drugs and fabricator of stories.”

The report said Fajardo is “tangled with several incidents of drug recycling and other illegal activities involving drugs since his early days as anti-narcotic operative in the PNP.”

Fajardo was previously assigned at the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (PNP-AIDSOTF).

After his retirement from the PNP, former PDEA Director Gen. Arturo Cacdac appointed Fajardo as head of the agency’s Special Enforcement Service from August 2014 to May 2017. He was then designated as regional director of PDEA Regional Office 3 and was later named director general before he was fired.

The report linked Fajardo to the drug operations in Valenzuela in January 12, 2016, and the Binondo drug raid in January 15, 2016 and the alleged arrest of two Taiwanese nationals in Parañaque City.

The report also implicated Fajardo in the arrest of Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino on January 20, 2016 at the Celadon Residences, in Barangay 350, Zone 35, District 3 in Manila.  Marcelino was arrested for allegedly possessing 76,697.7 grams or P380 million worth of shabu.

The report said Fajardo and his group implemented the search warrant issued by Judge Fernando Sagun Jr four days after the warrant against the group of Atong Lee, which led to the arrest of Marcelino, was released.

“Fajardo and his group concocted stories to vilify Marcelino and make a very big accomplishment out of his arrest. Contrary to their scripted stories given to the media, that operatives were surprised to see Marcelino inside the house comfortably sitting in a sofa, Fajardo and his group were already going in and out of the said house since January 2016, days even before the issuance of the search warrant,” the report said.

As bared in the documents from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, the report said the group of Fajardo “were actually the ones who brought drugs to the said place from Valenzuela following the instruction of drug lord Atong Lee.”

The group of Fajardo, the report said, “claimed that it was a clandestine shabu laboratory to claim rewards from PDEA’s Private Eye Rewards Program” although they simply used the place as storage area of the drugs from Valenzuela.”

“Nevertheless, they had been successful in making many people believe in their script that Marcelino was comfortably sitting in a sofa when they entered the unit by showing photographs and videos which were actually taken in the lobby of the PNP Headquarters at Camp Crame during the press conference when Marcelino was presented to the media.”

Lavish lifestyle 

The report also said Fajardo has unexplained wealth and a lavish lifestyle.

“Initial background investigation disclosed that Fajardo accumulates wealth which is disproportionate to his salary as government employee. Based on his SALN as of 31 December 2014, he has declared a total net worth of P7.8 million,” the report stated.

The report also revealed that Fajardo’s properties also allegedly include real properties such as the houses and lots located in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Quezon City and Subic, Zambales valued at more than P100 million.

According to the report, Fajardo allegedly owns the Elyse Maison Event Place and Private Resort located in the boundary of Taytay, Rizal and Antipolo City where he lives.

The report also said Fajardo is also allegedly using a personal black bulletproof Toyota Prado Land Cruiser registered under a certain Sandra Uy who lives in Marikina City.

Fajardo, said the report, also allegedly raped Uy after he approached the PDEA agent after his husband, a Chinese national, was arrested.

The report said Fajardo allegedly promised support for Uy’s husband.

The report recommended that Fajardo “must be investigated for violating several provisions of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2000).

It also recommended that a “thorough lifestyle check” must also be conducted against Fajardo.

Eduardo Acierto

The report also pinned former PNP’s anti-narcotics stalwart, ex-Sr. Supt. Eduardo Acierto, who was dismissed from service due to various anomalies.

According to the report, from 2011 to 2013, Acierto was allegedly involved in the anomalous procurement of more than a thousand AK-47 rifles which eventually landed at the hands of the New People’s Army (NPA). This led to his dismissal last month.

The report added that Acierto amassed wealth “by recycling drugs” that the authorities have confiscated. He was also tagged in the extortion of foreigners, especially Chinese nationals.

He was the officer-in-charge of the now-defunct PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) which was linked to the killing of Korean national Jee Ick Joo inside the Camp Crame, the report said.

The report also said that he was charged for command responsibility after the unit was dissolved by the President.

Acierto’s group was also known to fabricate stories and plant evidence particularly drugs which were recycled from previous anti-drug operations, the report claimed.

Together with Fajardo, Acierto has maintained connections with various financiers and manufacturers inside and outside the Philippines, the report added.

Jimmy Guban

According to the report, Bureau of Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban was also reported to have established dubious activities inside the corruption-hit Bureau.

The report said Guban allegedly used to be with the Economic Intelligence Board (EIB) where he developed a network with individuals who would turn to him when they wanted illegal commodities brought in the country like drugs, fireworks, rice, sugar, and garlic among others.  /muf