Tribune reporter says he was verifying cops’ involvement in drug trade
MANILA, Philippines—Journalist Fernan Angeles said Wednesday he informed Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Francisco Manalo about Faisal Sancopan’s involvement in the drug trade 14 hours before Sancopan himself allegedly led several men in shooting The Daily Tribune’s Malacañang reporter last week.
“I was shot by a group of men led by the very subject I reported to him. Interesting how that very subject Faisal traced the lead of such information,” Angeles said in a statement he sent to the Malacañang Press Corps on Wednesday, a few hours before he was to undergo surgery related to his injuries.
Angeles, who also writes for a local newspaper in Pasig City, said he was trying to get Manalo’s reaction to information that the Pasig police and the EPD were involved in the drug trade.
He said the policemen involved would make an arrest, seize the drugs, accept cash in exchange for the suspects’ liberty and then re-sell the confiscated narcotics.
“As far as I remember, about 14 hours before I was shot near my house in Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City, I sent a text message to EPD director Manalo informing him of what I was told about another incident dragging the Pasig PNP and the EPD of a glaring involvement in the drug trade via ‘arrest-seize drugs, sell liberty-re-sell seized drugs’,” Angeles said.
“I was hoping to get a reaction or at least clarification from where they could start moving. Instead, I got a reply saying ‘tnx4 d info’,” he added.
Angeles said his text message was unwittingly “used as an instrument by a high profile police officer in trying to recover what looks like his share from the huge loot that his cops took from Faisal.”
“My text to Manalo somehow says Pasig PNP just arrested drug personality Faisal and seized half kilo of shabu, P850 cash, two high end firearms, etc. I also told him Faisal was made to pay P500,000 for his freedom, and help the cops turn seized drugs into cash by doing the brokering himself,” he added.
