Estrella confirms visit of Duterte’s son-in-law at BOC

Former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence service chief Neil Estrella confirmed that Mans Carpio, husband of presidential daughter Davao City Sara Duterte, visited resigned Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon’s office.

The confirmation of Estrella had alarmed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV amid reports of the existence of the alleged “Davao group.”

READ: BOC ‘tara’ trail leads to Davao City

Estrella, who resigned following the drug shipment controversy, earlier revealed during last Thursday’s Senate hearing that he saw Carpio come out from Faeldon’s office.

Responding to Trillanes’s question, Estrella said: “Your honor, si Atty. Mans, nakita kong pumasyal sa Bureau of Customs but not Paolo Duterte (I saw Atty. Mans visited the Bureau of Customs but no Paolo Duterte).”

Asked what Carpio’s business in Faeldon’s office was, Estrella added: “I am not privy to the situation. I just came down from my office and I chanced upon him (Carpio) going out of the office of the commissioner.”

As of this posting, Inquirer.net has been reaching Mans Carpio to get his side on Trillanes’ assumption but no words yet from the presidential son-in-law.

“Mans Carpio has no business being there. Alam nila na influential ‘yung kanilang pamilya so hindi mo iisipin na, nakikipag-kwentuhan tungkol sa showbiz o ano man, so, talagang ano ito, this confirms yung information na ‘yung sa Davao group,” he said.

(Mans Carpio has no business being there. They know that their family is influential so one wouldn’t think that they just talked about showbiz or anything, so this confirms the information about the Davao group)

The Senate blue ribbon committee resumed on Tuesday its inquiry into the P6.4-billion worth of drug shipment from China into the country. A “Davao group” is allegedly operating within the agency, demanding brokers to pay bribe money for containers to pass through the BOC’s inspection.

Broker Mark Taguba II claimed in an earlier congressional hearings that he dealt with the members of the Davao group, including Davao City councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera Jr., who told him to pay P5 million so he could seek protection from Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, President Duterte’s son.

Citing information from his “three sources,” Trillanes said he learned that Carpio went to the BOC “at least five occasions.”

Mans Carpio is also related to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. Mans is the son of the Ombudsman’s brother Atty. Lucas Carpio, Jr., husband of Court of Appeals Justice Agnes Reyes Carpio. With Christia Marie Ramos, Inquirer Volunteer Corps / JPV