Estrada pal lauds CA acquittal on smuggling

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines –  A friend of former president Joseph Estrada on Thursday said he was jubilant following a decision by the Court of Appeals clearing him of smuggling charges, which were brought on by the confiscation of 39 drums of imported chemicals for the manufacture of foam, filed by government prosecutors here 12 years ago.

“I am acquitted of the charges. I am acquitted by the court on charges of smuggling chemicals,” Lepeng Wee, formally known as Wee Dee Ping, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

On June 30, 2000, Customs personnel here seized the chemicals, described as highly toxic, which were shipped from Malaysia due to lack of documents and sued three persons, namely: Ang Beng Ean, Sim Kwan Kean and Tan Nge Foo.

On July 8, 2002, the city prosecutor’s office amended the original complaint and included Wee, Nancy Lim, Gajar Munong and former District Collector Corazon Motomal.

Wee had maintained innocence over the charges he was among those behind the attempt to sneak in the chemicals, including toluene and methylene chloride, which were valued at more than P500,000.

“I am innocent but I remained to face all these trials,” the former presidential adviser for Western Mindanao repeated on Thursday.

In February 2010, the Regional Trial Court Branch 12 here found Wee, Lim and Tan “guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crimes in violation of Section No. 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code under criminal case numbers 17317 and 18754.”

They were each sentenced to imprisonment of eight to 12 years and to pay P10,000 in fine.

Motomal was cleared, however, while Tan was immediately deported to Malaysia.

Wee and the other accused contested the regional court’s verdict before the CA.

Showing a copy of the CA decision, dated Dec. 12, 2012, Wee said he and the other accused had been cleared of the smuggling charges.

The decision was signed by Associate Justice Edgardo Carmello, chair of the CA’s 22nd Division, and Associate Justices Renato Francisco and Oscar Badelles.

“A sigh of relief, 12 long years of trying to evade friends, relatives and even the society as a whole because of these charges,” Wee said.

He recounted that his businesses, such as fish canning, had suffered so much that he thought of closing shop because of the smuggling charges.

“Now we can resume our normal lives. Our business has been nearly abandoned because of the case,” he said.

Wee said he would not run after people he had suspected of orchestrating the charges against him because the public will judge them anyway. He is running for a seat in the House of Representatives in the May midterm elections.