Liu Chao during inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice. He was arrested in a drug sting Tuesday where the police seized P2.5-billion worth of shabu. PHOTO BY Tetch Torres-Tupas/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – The Chinese national arrested in possession of P2.5-billion worth of shabu has rejected the service of a public defender and insisted on calling his family in China to help him look for a Chinese-speaking lawyer in the Philippines.
Liu Chao was taken to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by members of the Philippine National Police’s Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) to undergo inquest proceedings.
An inquest is a summary proceeding where the suspect is being informed of his offense and the evidence against him. A suspect undergoes inquest if he was arrested without a warrant during a buy-bust or entrapment operations or caught while doing a crime or an escapee.
The suspect has the option to sign a waiver of detention and proceed with a preliminary investigation where he has the chance to respond to the complaint filed against him in hopes of having it dismissed at the prosecutor level.
In this case, Liu, with the help of a DOJ prosecutor acting as an impromptu interpreter, no longer opted for a preliminary investigation. He is denying the allegations and said he should be allowed to call his family in China to help him look for a Chinese-speaking lawyer in the Philippines.
Assistant State Prosecutor Josie Christina Dugay granted Liu’s request on the condition that there has to be someone from the police who can understand Chinese or an interpreter is present when he makes the call.
The case has been submitted for resolution.
Liu was arrested in a drug sting on Banuyo Street in Barangay San Antonio in Makati late Tuesday.
Authorities seized 371 kilograms of shabu with a street value of P2.5-billion. The drugs were packed in vacuum-sealed bags labeled as “tea.”
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