VP: Lapeña’s transfer not enough; probe those in P11-B drug shipment

Vice President Leni Robredo. (File photo by JAM STA. ROSA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Updated @ 11:38 p.m., Oct. 27, 2018

Vice President Leni Robredo pressed on Saturday for a real investigation of government officials involved in the smuggling of P11-billion worth of “shabu,” or crystal meth, through the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

According to Robredo, it was not enough for former Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to be transferred to another agency.

Deep probe

“It is now clear that this huge shabu shipment slipped past the BOC,” Robredo said in a statement.

“This needs to be followed up by a serious and deeper investigation of all officials involved,” she said.

Robredo made the call after President Rodrigo Duterte promoted Lapeña to a Cabinet position as director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

READ: Lapeña out of Customs but named Tesda chief with Cabinet rank

“It is not enough to just transfer an official who was found to have been lax in his duties,” Robredo said.

“He should be held liable,” she added.

Not off the hook

Sen. Richard Gordon, Senate blue ribbon committee chair, agreed that Lapeña should still be investigated and would be summoned to the committee’s next hearing on Oct. 30.

“I am not sure if Sid Lapeña is involved in what’s happening,” Gordon said.

“He’s not yet off the hook,” he added.

Gordon said there had been no testimony pointing to Lapeña’s involvement.

The way the President handled the case, however, was tagged as duplicitous by Florin Hilbay, former solicitor general and now senatorial candidate.

Only poor targeted

He said it showed that the President’s war on drugs “targets only the poor.”

Another opposition senatorial candidate, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, also pushed for a thorough investigation.

“We cannot expect the war on drugs to succeed if officials themselves are not held accountable,” he said. /jpv /pdi