Senate cites in contempt 4 linked to drug smuggling

DRUG CONTAINERS Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino leads the inspection of one of four lifters that had carried at least P11-billion worth of crystal meth, or “shabu.” —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Sen. Richard Gordon cited in contempt four personalities being linked to “shabu” smuggling in the country for being no-shows at the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the issue on Thursday.

Cited in contempt were former police official Eduardo Acierto, former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Deputy Director General Ismael Fajardo and two officials of trading company SMYD—Marina Signapan and Emily Laquingan.

Consignee

Former customs intelligence officer and now Senate witness Jimmy Guban had pointed to Acierto as the one who ordered him to look for a consignee for imported magnetic lifters later found in Cavite and believed to have contained shabu, or crystal meth, worth P11 billion.

Acierto has been dismissed from the police for another controversy—questionable issuance of firearms’ licenses.

Signapan, who told the committee that she was sick, was the consignee of the magnetic lifters.

This was her second contempt citation, after she was meted the same penalty in September for supposedly lying before the committee.

Fajardo has been sacked from the PDEA in connection with the shabu shipment.

Laquingan was the former partner of KC Chan, who has been linked to the shipment of magnetic lifters that contained P4.3 billion worth of shabu found at the Manila International Container Port.

At the hearing, Gordon also said the PDEA should have done more to trace the source of the smuggled drugs.

Party

He showed what he later described as a “very damaging” photo showing Acierto, Fajardo and PDEA chief Aaron Aquino at Fajardo’s birthday party on Sept. 3.

The party took place after the magnetic lifters were found, Gordon noted.

“Even for the PDEA director, that’s damaging,” he said.

He said the PDEA chief has to explain why he was with these people.

Aquino had relieved Fajardo on Sept. 14. It was only during the Senate hearings last month that Guban detailed Acierto’s involvement in the magnetic lifters shipment.

Asked about the discovery only in September of the collusion angle, Gordon replied: “If that’s the case, our police are weak. If we can catch it, why can’t they?”