Police official with graft case allowed to travel for ‘war on drugs’

Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto and Chief Inspector Nelson Bautista. (Photo courtesy of UNTV.)

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has granted travel permission to a high-ranking police official facing graft charges—who invoked the Duterte government’s war on drugs in his travel motion.

Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto, officer-in-charge deputy director for administration of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), said he would attend an operational meeting with the Taiwan Coast Guard next week.

His motion, however, still states his position as OIC-DDA of the now-abolished Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG).

Acierto’s motion stated he has been scheduled to visit Taipei “in the interest of the national campaign against illegal drugs headed by no less than the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo R. Duterte.”

The anti-graft court’s Sixth Division on April 6 allowed Acierto to leave the country from April 16 to 20, reporters learned on Tuesday.

As former chief of the Firearms and Explosives Office’s Firearms and Licensing Division (FEO-FLD), Acierto was one of the police officials charged with graft in connection with the award of the exclusive license delivery contract to Werfast Documentary Agency, Inc.

This was despite the firm’s alleged failure to meet various requirements such as registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, delivery authorization from the then-Department of Transportation and Communications, and accreditation from the Department of Science and Technology.

The Ombudsman in June 2015 also meted the penalty of dismissal to Acierto and the other police officials after finding them guilty of the administrative offenses of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and grave abuse of authority.

But, the Court of Appeals on Feb. 12, 2016 reversed the decision and ordered Acierto’s reinstatement. Later on, Acierto was appointed to the high-ranking position at the AIDG, which was disbanded in January in the aftermath of the killing of South Korean national Jee Ick-joo at Camp Crame.

“It is an accepted fact in this case that accused Acierto, as a reinstated officer of the PNP, would be invited to several meetings, symposiums, or seminars in relation to his duties as OIC, DDA, AIDG,” his motion read.  SFM