Filipinos nabbed in P3-B ‘shabu’ raid ‘just passing by area’

The Filipinos arrested along with Chinese nationals in the successive raids in San Juan City that yielded P3-billion worth of “shabu” had told the Department of Justice that they were just passing by the area when an unknown person asked them to drive an empty vehicle to where they were arrested.

The three Filipino respondents—Abdullah Mahmod Jahmal, Salim Cocodao Arafat and Basher Tawaki Jamal—denied the allegations against them in their counter-affidavits.

The respondents said they were on their way to a fast-food place, passing by the area where the raid was conducted, when they were asked by an unknown person to drive an empty, already running vehicle.

Conrad Leano, counsel for Arafat, also insisted that his client was only 16 years old.

Authorities, however, said Arafat had been subjected to dental examination, which showed that he was already an adult.

Apart from the three Filipinos, their co-respondents Chinese nationals Shi Gui Xiong, Che Wen De and Wu Li Yong failed to submit their counter-affidavits despite extensions given to them by DOJ prosecutors.

The counsel of Wu Li Yong manifested that they were willing to submit a counter-affidavit, but they did not know their client was given a deadline only until today, while the counsels of Shi Gui Xiong and Che Wen De moved that they would not file theirs.

The DOJ has submitted the case for resolution.