CIDG names witnesses in ‘missing drugs, money’ case

Chinese Druglord Li Lan Yan alias Jackson Dy with his wife Wang Li Na, behind bars at the CIDG Detention Center at Camp Crame, after escaping from prison last February 2013. DILG Sec. Mar Roxas earlier turned over arrested fugitives to DOJ-BUCOR to prevent further fugitives from escaping authorities. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines—The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) identified Wednesday the two men who claimed that illegal drugs and up to P20 million in cash were seized when policemen rearrested two fugitive Chinese drug convicts in San Juan last week.

Speaking to reporters, Senior Superintendent Jose Mario Espino identified the alleged witnesses as Roy Delvo Mirrales, and one alias “Dino” whose allegation led to the administrative relief of the 19 members of the CIDG raiding team. The police officers apparently  failed to declare that they confiscated about P15 million to P20 million cash and around 80 kilos of shabu during the raid.

Roy Mirrales is a security guard of Guardshield Security Agency assigned at the subdivision in San Juan where fugitive spouses Li Lan Yan a.k.a Jackson Dy and Wang Li Na were arrested, while Dino was a gardener there.

They were paid by about P2,500 each by the CIDG-Anti Organized Crime Division in exchange for information and safe passage through the subdivision during the raid.

Espino said Mirrales and Dino could have decided to go against the CIDG men after the two resented the investigation group’s failure to give additional cash reward after realizing the arrested couple were big time drug convicts.

The drug syndicate may have offered them more money in exchange for false testimonies to discredit the CIDG officers, Espino said.

Moreover, Espino said the two couldn’t have possibly seen the actual raid as Mirrales was at the guard house, while Dino was inside his nipa hut.

Both places were far from the house of the fugitives, Espino said.

“So hindi sila pulis gaya ng sabi ni [Justice] Secretary Leila de Lima (they are not cops as what Secretary Leila de Lima said),” Espino said, noting that all policemen involved during the operation are accounted for.

The two apparently introduced themselves as polilce officers.

“None of them is under the Witness Protection Program,” Espino added, but noted they were applying for the protection program.

CIDG chief Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr. ordered the men’s administrative relief last week while investigation into the allegation was underway.

The Chinese couple, along  with another Chinese convict, Li Tian Hua, escaped detention last February 20. Fourteen men  snatched the convicts from jail guards, who were supposed to bring them to a court hearing in Cavite that day.

They couple were convicted in a 2008 drug case.