Court orders transfer of P6.4B shabu shipment consignee to Manila City Jail

A Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered the transfer of the consignee of the P6.4 billion shabu shipment from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Custodial Center to the Manila City Jail.

In a hearing on Friday, Manila RTC Branch 46 Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa said that a commitment order would be issued for the transfer of Eirene May Tatad, owner of EMT Trading, to the city jail.

EMT Trading was tapped by Customs fixer Mark Ruben Taguba II as the importer or consignee of the controversial shipment initially declared to contain kitchenware, but later discovered to be shabu during an inspection by authorities.

NBI agents arrested Tatad on February 2 while she was on vacation in Iloilo. She was transported to and detained at the NBI headquarters in Manila on the same day.

The judge also ordered the NBI to furnish the court the original copy of Tatad’s arrest warrant as she chided the bureau for only submitting a photocopy.

Tatad was ordered arrested by the court for importation of dangerous drugs in violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Aside from Tatad ang Taguba, who already surrendered to the NBI, the court also ordered the arrest of Li Guang Feng alias Manny Li; Dong Yi Shen Xi alias Kenneth Dong; Teejan Marcellana; Chen I-Min; Jhu Ming Jhyun; and Chen Rong Juan.     /kga