Ex-BOC exec claims China cleared him

Neil Anthony Estrella. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ Grig C. Montegrande

A resigned Customs official on Friday said China’s statement on its bilateral efforts with the Philippines in combating the drug menace virtually absolved him and his former colleagues of the drug trafficking charges lodged against them at  the Department of Justice.

In a statement, retired Marine Col. Neil Anthony Estrella said China practically belied the claims of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that certain erring officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) were in cahoots with a drug syndicate in sneaking in 605 kilos of “shabu” (crystal meth).

The P6.4-billion worth of drug shipment had passed through the BOC before Customs and PDEA operatives, led by Estrella, recovered it in a Valenzuela City warehouse on May 25.

Estrella, who quit as chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service amid the controversy, accused Customs fixer Mark Taguba II of spreading malicious information linking them to the drug shipment.

“There appears to be a conspiracy between our accusers and … Taguba to destroy us, so Taguba and company can go scot-free. The PDEA has no case against us,” Estrella said.

“These false reports have been going around to destroy us. China also mentioned that in its statement,” he maintained.