<\/p>\n
A FORMER <\/strong>intelligence officer of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday linked lawyer Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, her brother Davao City 1st<\/sup> district Rep. Paolo \u201cPolong\u201d Duterte and <\/strong>former President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s presidential economic adviser and <\/strong>Chinese businessman Michael Yang to the <\/strong>smuggling of P11 billion worth of shabu hidden in magnetic lifters discovered at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in 2018.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ex-BOC intelligence officer Jimmy Guban <\/strong> made the revelation before the House of Representatives\u2019 quad committee investigating the alleged links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the illegal drug trade, and the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) tied to the Duterte administration\u2019s \u201cwar on drugs.\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban, who is currently detained at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, was brought to Bacolor, Pampanga, where the quad-committee \u2014 comprising the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts \u2014 held its first joint public hearing.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He arrived at the hearing wearing a bulletproof vest and a prisoner\u2019s orange t-shirt as he has been incarcerated for six years now after he was convicted for his role in the drug smuggling operations.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The former BOC intelligence stated in his affidavit submitted to the committee that in 2017, he was introduced to <\/strong>Davao City councilor Nilo \u201cSmall\u201d Abellera Jr. <\/strong>by a Chinese businessman whom he knew only as \u201cHenry.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn the said meeting, \u2018Small\u2019 told me that he is the business partner and trusted man of Michael Yang, Polong Duterte, the son of then president Rodrigo Duterte, and attorney Mans Carpio, the husband of then Davao City mayor Sara Duterte,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban claimed that \u201cSmall\u201d told him he was tasked to facilitate the release of shipments.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He said he was requested by \u201cSmall\u201d to ease the processing of the shipments because those were Yang\u2019s, Polong\u2019s and Mans\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He quoted Abellera as saying: \u201cLuwagan mo \u2018yang mga shipments na \u2018yan, alam mo naman na kina Michael Yang, Pulong at Mans \u2018yan.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Citing intelligence reports, he said his team was able to seize magnetic lifters used to conceal billions worth of smuggled shabu at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n PDEA officials earlier estimated that the lifters at the MICP and a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez in Cavite \u2013 all were found empty \u2013 may have contained shabu valued at P11 billion.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban alleged that the former first family tried to exert their influence over the shipment.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He lamented he was just doing his job but he was the one being pinned over the illegal drugs he confiscated.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere is a grand conspiracy to clean the names of the first family and Michael Yang\u2019s and to include in the information the name of their political rival, Sen. Antonio Trillanes, and I did not agree. I said that person does not know anything,\u201d he told the committee.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He also revealed his collaboration with former police officer Col. Eduardo Acierto, who provided additional intelligence on the smuggling operations. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban said Acierto\u2019s investigations identified a suspicious shipment from Vecaba Trading International, the consignee of the seized shabu.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Guban, Vecaba Trading is owned by Vedasto Cabral Baraquel Jr. and his live-in partner Maria Lagrimas Catipan, who serve as business dummies for businessman and importer Poney Chen and his former wife, Emily Luquingan, both residents of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban said he reported his findings to a certain Gen. Quinto, who sought approval from then Customs Commissioner Isidro Lape\u00f1a to place the shipment on hold.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen it became certain that the shipment of Vecaba Trading was located in the MICP, I reported to Gen. Quinto this fact so that he could request Commissioner Lape\u00f1a for the issuance of a hold-and-alert order. That request was approved by the then Commissioner Lape\u00f1a,\u201d Guban stated.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban\u2019s affidavit also detailed a threat he received during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, where he was cited for contempt due to inconsistencies in his testimony.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He also mentioned journalists Benny Antiporda and Paul Gutierrez, whom he said were working with the Dutertes.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban recalled that when he was facing Senate probe, Gutierrez, accompanied by a Senate Blue Ribbon committee staff member, visited him and warned him against mentioning the names of Polong Duterte, Carpio and Yang in his testimony.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Wag mong banggitin ang mga pangalan nila Pulong, Michael Yang, at Mans. Alam namin kung saan nakatira ang pamilya mo, alam din namin na nasa Makati ang anak mong lalaki,\u201d Gutierrez allegedly told Guban.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gutierrez, a former president of the National Press Club, is currently the executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In another instance, Guban recounted a phone call from Bureau of Customs official Lourdes Mangaoang, who inquired about the Vecaba Trading shipment. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Guban, Mangaoang said: \u201cAnong magagawa d\u2019yan sa shipment na \u2018yan, kina pareng Benny Antiporda \u2018yan,\u201d referring to then-Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The shipment from Vecaba Trading was eventually intercepted, and two magnetic lifters containing shabu were discovered. <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Guban told the joint committee that the Dutertes lobbied for the magnetic lifters that they apprehended containing shabu at the Manila Container Port.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Toward the end of the hearing, the quad committee ordered that invitations be sent to all individuals mentioned by Guban in his affidavit and testimony.<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, <\/strong>Congressman Duterte denied involvement in illegal drugs and denied knowing Guban.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other men whose names were brought up by Guban in Friday\u2019s inquiry also came forward to dispel the accusations.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTime and again, Guban has been proven to be an inveterate liar. Our lawmakers should therefore be forewarned in believing anything he says,\u201d Gutierrez said.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMr. Guban\u2019s allegations are lies of great magnitude as magnified by the fact that it lacks any evidentiary support but his self-serving allegations,\u201d stated Antiporda.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Vice President Duterte said only her husband <\/strong>could answer the allegations against him.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n She also said that she cannot speak for her brother.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A FORMER intelligence officer of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday linked lawyer Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, her brother Davao<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7915"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7917,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7915\/revisions\/7917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}