Guban cries on seeing ex-cop Acierto: ‘I’m happy we’re still alive’

Former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban got emotional during the House quad committee hearing on November 7, 2024. (Photo screen grab from House of Representatives Facebook live stream)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban got emotional during the House quad committee hearing on Thursday after seeing dismissed Colonel Eduardo Acierto, who attended the probe via Zoom.

Guban previously tagged Acierto as the man behind the smuggling of 355 kilograms of “shabu” (crystal meth) hidden in steel magnetic lifters in 2018.

The narcotics passed inspection by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after they arrived at the Manila International Container Terminal in August of the same year.

READ: ‘Ex-President Duterte wants military, police to kill me,’ says Acierto

But during the recent quad comm hearing, Guban took back his accusations against Acierto, revealing that Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, Mans Carpio, were part of the conspiracy.

He added that he was only pressured to hide the names of the Dutertes and their associates during that time.

“[I feel] anger and joy because we are still alive, not because of the betrayal. Thank God we are both alive,” Guban told lawmakers in Filipino after he was in tears.

“Some people died because of the Davao mafia and their purpose to ‘save the queen’ in order to become the next president. That is how… That’s what they did. All killings,” he added, slightly raising his voice.

It was unclear, however, who was the “queen” Guban was referring to.

His emotional speech was cut short by panel chair Robert Ace Barbers.

Guban then apologized to the members of the panel for crying as he expressed his happiness upon seeing Acierto, even if it was just via online.

During the 2018 Senate probe, Guban alleged that it was Acierto who directed him to look for a consignee for the magnetic lifters used to conceal the shabu.

Prior to this, Acierto tagged former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang as a drug lord in 2017.

He claimed that the former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Christopher Go, and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa were aware of this but had turned a blind eye to these criminal involvements.

Acierto also claimed that the former president wanted the military and the police to kill him due to his move to have Yang and Allan Lim investigated because of their alleged link to the illegal drug trade.

Acierto is former deputy director of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group.