PDEA exec: BOC broke protocol in handling seized drugs

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon addresses questions from the Senate blue ribbon committee during the hearing on the P6.4-billion worth of smuggled shabu from China on Monday, July 31, 2017. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

A Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) official criticized Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon for refusing to coordinate with the anti-drug body in handling the billions-worth of illegal drugs seized in a Valenzuela City warehouse.

PDEA National Capital Region Director Wilkins Villanueva told the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief did not heed his advise to conduct a controlled delivery operation upon discovering the P6.4-billion worth of shabu smuggled from China.

“Sir, kasi ang problem, ‘pag anti-drug operation makinig kayo sa PDEA. And problema nagmamagaling-magalingan kayo dito eh wala naman pala tayong alam (Sir, the problem is, when it comes to anti-drug operation you should listen to PDEA. And the problem is a lot of you think you knew everything, well in fact you do not know anything),” Villanueva said.

READ: Customs official blamed for P6-B shabu shipment ‘nowhere to be found’

The PDEA director said he insisted to conduct a controlled delivery operation of the five crates from the warehouse to the PDEA office for safekeeping but Faeldon argued to keep four as an evidence against the owner of the warehouse owned by Hongfei logistics.

Villanueva explained that controlled delivery could not be conducted in the transfer of one crate and these could not be used as evidence. He said there would not be any problem if only BOC officials listened to him.

“Ang tagal kong sinasabi sa inyo ayaw niyong makinig (I’ve been telling you but you refused to listen),” said Villanueva.

Instead of turning over the shipment to the PDEA as required by law, the BOC turned it over to the National Bureau of Investigation.

‘Contaminated’

When PDEA agents arrived at the warehouse, Villanueva said that the contraband had already been taken out of the containers.

“Pagdating ko doon (When I arrived there), I saw everything… four crates opened, open na yung cylinder, naandiyan na lahat nung drugs sa floor (everything, the drugs, was already on the floor). I was thinking, what kind of operation are we going to do now? Nakabuyangyang na lahat yung droga e (the drugs area already exposed). I have no personal knowledge anymore because it was taken out of the cylinders,” Villanueva said.

“Yung lahat ng drugs na yon, contaminated na, lahat na ng tao naghawak e. Lahat na ng tao nagselfie doon sa drugs e (All of the drugs had been contaminated already, most of the people touched it. Almost all of them had taken a selfie of the drugs),” he added.

BOC Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Niel Estrella admitted he ordered the opening of the crates before the PDEA arrived.

“I ordered the opening of the crate. I want to validate the information given to me your honor,” Estrella said.

Faeldon also sought for PDEA’s help on the same day of the raid, Villanueva said, preventing them to secure paperwork for a sensitive operation that only the PDEA chief approves.

On May 23, the shipment passed through the BOC’s express lane and it was only three days later when authorities discovered the entry of the illegal drugs after the tip of its Chinese counterpart.

‘Resign’

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday backed calls for the resignation of Faeldon for his “gross incompetence” in handling the seized drugs and allowing the people involved to “go scot-free.”

“Well, I support the call of resignation na sinabi kanina ni Chairman Ace Barbers dahil po kung ako ang nasa posisyon na iyon ay talaga namang kung meron pa akong konting hiya na natitira ay talagang magreresign ako (which Chairman Ace Barbers suggested earlier because even if I were in that position, that is the logical thing to do if there is still some shame remains),” said Alvarez in an ambush interview. JPV