MANILA, Philippines — Sacked Police Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto allegedly admitted that he has no evidence that would link President Rodrigo Duterte to the illegal drug trade.
Senator Richard Gordon revealed this on Tuesday, two days after Acierto surfaced and exposed Michael Yang’s alleged drug links.
Yang was Duterte’s economic adviser until December 2018.
READ: Palace: Michael Yang no longer Duterte’s economic adviser
During an executive meeting of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last October, Gordon said Acierto gave him an intelligence report linking Michael Yang to illegal drugs.
“Meron syang papel na ibinigay, nakatago yun,” Gordon said in a phone patch interview with Senate reporters.
Based on the report, he said Yang allegedly “activated” the shipment of chemicals and equipment at a Davao Lab in 2004.
“Yun lang ang sinasabi nya (Acierto) na itong si Michael Yang ang nag-activate… kasama nya yung dalawang Chinese at sinabi nya na itong si Michael Yang ang nag-activate ng shipment nung chemicals and equipment dun sa Davao lab,” said the senator.
(That’s what he said, that this Michael Yang activated [the lab]…together with two Chinese.)
But Gordon said Acierto admitted that he has no evidence that would link Duterte to illegal drugs.
“Kaya nga, Sir, hindi ako nagsasalita dahil wala akong ebidensya (That’s why, Sir, I’m not talking because I have no evidence),” the senator said, quoting the former police officer.
“Wala daw syang ebidensya. Sa kanya galing yan. E papano naman ang gagawin ko dyan, e kung walang ebidensya, sa kanya na nanggaling.”
(He said he does not have evidence. It comes from him. So what will I do if there is no evidence?)
Gordon said the testimonies in the closed-door session of the blue ribbon panel were all recorded.
Acierto attended the Senate’s probe on the P11-billion shabu shipment twice, but he went into hiding after facing the executive session in October last year.
But in an interview last Sunday, the former police officer said he submitted a confidential report about Yang to certain police and government officials, including Gordon.
READ: Ex-cop linked to P11-B ‘shabu’ smuggling fears for life
The senator confirmed receiving a copy of the report but said he did not block an investigation on Acierto’s allegations.
“I didn’t block,” Gordon said. /ee
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