Updated (10:04 p.m.)
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday asked the military and police why dismissed Sr. Supt. Eduardo Acierto, who was tagged in a multi-billion shabu shipment, is still alive.
“Huwag kayo maniwala dito, lalo na ito si Acierto ito nga ‘yung sa…tanungin ko kaya military at saka police bakit buhay pa ‘yang pu********* ‘yan,” Duterte said in his speech during the distribution of financial grants to the beneficiaries of the government’s unconditional cash transfer program in Koronadal City, South Cotabato.
(Do not believe Acierto. I want to ask the military and the police why this son of a b**** is still alive.)
Duterte made the remark days after Acierto, who went into hiding after he was tagged in the alleged smuggling of P11-billion worth of shabu into the country, resurfaced and showed documents detailing the alleged drug links of Duterte’s former economic adviser Michael Yang and another Chinese national, Allan Lim.
READ: Ex-cop linked to P11-B ‘shabu’ smuggling fears for life
The President also accused the sacked police official of procuring rifles which ended up in the hands of communist rebels.
“Si Eduardo Acierto na-dismiss sa police effective August 14 due to procurement of AK-47 rifles which eventually landed in the possession of the New People’s Army,” he said.
In August 2018, Acierto, along with other police officials, was ordered dismissed for multiple counts of graft in connection with the missing AK-47 assault rifles, which allegedly ended up in the hands of communist rebels in Mindanao.
READ: 12 cops face jail over AK-47 deal
Two months later, Duterte released a “secret special report” tagging Acierto in “recycling of drugs.”
Duterte’s report noted that Acierto amassed wealth “by recycling drugs,” which the authorities have confiscated in anti-drug operations. He was also tagged in the extortion of foreigners, especially Chinese nationals. /ee
READ: Duterte ‘secret special report’ bares drug links of active, ex-PNP, PDEA, BoC execs