MANILA, Philippines–Officials of two antinarcotics agencies on Thursday said they had not heard of Norminda Galo who allegedly provided “targets” to two of the policemen being linked to the Sept. 1 robbery-abduction incident on Edsa.
Both the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force (AIDSOTF) said Galo’s name had never cropped up in any of their investigations.
A former PDEA officer earlier identified Galo as the one who supplied Senior Insp. Oliver Villanueva and dismissed Insp. Marco Polo Estrera with the names of potential victims for their kidnap and robbery-extortion activities.
The source said she was also involved in illegal drug trafficking and operated in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Lanao del Sur.
“That name has not figured in our investigations. Same with the name Amira Salik. It’s possible that it’s not the real name of this person,” AIDSOTF spokesman Chief Insp. Roque Merdegia said.
One of the victims in the Sept. 1 incident, Samanodin Abdul Gafur, told the police that Salik, an ex-girlfriend of his, knew that he was carrying P2 million before he and his companion were kidnapped and detained for hours by Villanueva’s group which took the money.
Merdegia also denied an Inquirer report that said PNP-AIDSOTF members, particularly those belonging to the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 2001, were once assigned to escort Galo after she went to the Commission on Human Rights in 2009 for help. This was after the PDEA placed her under surveillance.
“No member of PNPA 2001 was assigned to us. Estrera was never with AIDSOTF. Also, no member of AIDSOTF ever acted as her escort,” he said.
According to Merdegia, Estrera was already absent without official leave (AWOL) when he was arrested in 2006 for rounding up six suspected drug pushers and bringing them to a fast-food chain instead of the PDEA headquarters.
The PDEA also claimed that neither Galo nor Salik was on their list of drug personalities.
“No, I have not yet encountered that name. Perhaps it’s best to ask the PDEA officer who said that,” said PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon.–Julie M. Aurelio
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