By Filane Mikee Cervantes
MANILA – The House Quad Committee’s (quadcom) series of over 13 hearings unraveled a complex web linking the illegal drug trade, Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), and alleged extrajudicial killings during the previous administration’s drug war.
During the mega-panel’s latest hearing on Thursday, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop presented critical evidence gathered over the hearings, which revealed high-ranking officials and private players caught in a vast and “organized network”.
Acop’s presentation centered on the “Tale of Two Shipments” wherein two “separate yet parallel incidents” are tied together by recurring personalities and complicity.
Tale of 2 shipments
Acop’s account began with two high-profile drug shipments smuggled into the Philippines in 2017 and 2018 during the peak of the war on drugs of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
These shipments, valued at PHP6.4 billion and PHP3.4 billion respectively, contained shabu (methamphetamine) hidden in industrial equipment—particularly, metal cylinders in 2017 and magnetic lifters in 2018. Both passed through the Manila International Container Port.
Testimonies from key witnesses—former Customs personnel Jimmy Guban and businessman Mark Taguba—testified that these shipments were allegedly controlled by notable figures, such as the former president’s son, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte; Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Manases “Mans” Carpio; and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang.
Taguba even claimed that these shipments required the “go-ahead” from these individuals.
“They allegedly control these shipments,” said Acop. “Kung gusto mo madali, lumapit ka sa Davao boys. ‘Yun po ang turo sa kanya [Taguba] (If you wanted things to move smoothly, you just have to approach the Davao boys. That’s what was taught to him).”
While the cases were initially treated as separate, Acop highlighted uncanny similarities: “Pareho pong bilyon-bilyon ang halaga ng shabu na ipinasok… parehong dawit ang mga pangalan nina honorable Paolo Duterte, Atty. Mans Carpio, at Michael Yang (Both shipments were worth billions… and the same names—Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio, and Michael Yang—were implicated),” Acop said.
Grease money
Acop also laid bare the entrenched “tara system”, a form of bribery allegedly employed by corrupt individuals within the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
This “grease money” ensured minimal inspections of incoming shipments.
“Paano po ito nakakalusot (How did these [shipments] slip through)? it’s a crack in our system, a crack in the Bureau of Customs—ang ‘tara’ system,” Acop said.
“Simple lang po ‘yung tara system (Tara system is simple). It’s grease money, lagay, given to the officials of the Bureau of Customs among others to push them into a more simple assessment of in-bound goods,” he said.
Acop detailed how PHP1 million could ensure a container avoided X-ray and physical inspections, thus shielding large drug hauls from detection.
“According to the Tale of Two Shipments na nabuo sa testimonya ni Mr. Taguba and Mr. Guban, ito po ang estilo ng mga illegal drug importers: magbabayad ng pera sa mga opisyal ng BOC para mabilis na makalusot ang kanilang mga shipments. Oo nga naman, di ba, papaano made-detect ang isang shipment of suspected dangerous drugs kung simple assessment lang, walang x-ray or kahit anong form of physical examination? (that was derived from the testimonies of Mr. Taguba and Mr. Guban, this is the style of illegal drug importers: they pay money to BOC officials to quickly get their shipments through. That’s right, how can a shipment of suspected dangerous drugs be detected with just a simple assessment, without an X-ray or any form of physical examination?),” Acop said.
Complicated, organized network
Acop also revisited intelligence reports by dismissed police colonel Eduardo Acierto that tagged Yang, Duterte’s former economic adviser, as central to a “complicated and organized network” involved in the illegal drug trade, alongside business partners Allan Lim and Johnson Co.
“Ayon sa [Acierto’s] diagram, si Mr. Allan Lim ang local source, si Mr. Yang ang taga-ayos ng importation side, at si Mr. Co ang distributor. Ipinapakita rin ang slide na ito kung gaano ka-komplikado at organisado ang network (Based on the diagram, Mr. Allan Lim is the local source, Mr. Yang managed the importation side, and Co is the distributor),” said Acop, presenting a diagram illustrating the syndicate’s end-to-end drug operations from supply to distribution, as well as money laundering operations.
Yang’s name surfaced repeatedly in investigations, including his alleged role in the dismantled Dumoy laboratory in Davao City, where six Chinese nationals were killed during a December 2004 raid.
“At this time, Michael Yang’s involvement in dangerous drugs was just very small. His only task was to transport precursor materials necessary to create shabu. Ang role niya po niya noong circa 2004 ay i-transport ang (His role circa 2004 was to transport) precursors mula sa (from the) port to the laboratory,” Acop said.
Acop noted Yang’s evolution from facilitating precursor chemicals to orchestrating large-scale smuggling operations.
“From receiving shipments of precursors from the ports and transporting them, malayo na ang narating ni Michael Yang (Michael Yang has gone a long way). He eventually managed to develop contacts in the Bureau of Customs and evolved into a facilitator of shipments of shabu,” Acop said.
Acop said Acierto submitted an intelligence report in 2017 detailing Yang and Lim’s involvement in the illegal drug trade, but this was ignored by high-ranking officials.
“Bakit kaya ganun at parang hindi nalang pinansin ang isang report tungkol sa isang malaking drug lord? (Why is it that it seems like a report about a major drug lord was just ignored?,” Acop said.
POGO connection
The quadcom also connected Yang to POGOs through DCLA Company Inc., which operates DCLA Plaza shopping mall in Davao City.
The establishment was reported to host activities and transactions related to illegal drugs.
Paili Holdings Corporation, another entity purportedly linked to Yang, owns Paili Estate, which constructed Clark Majestic World—a site where Chinese nationals were arrested for kidnapping incidents tied to organized crime.
“Iyan pong mga usapin na ‘yan ay nakakabit naman sa POGO. Si Acierto ang unang nagbanggit ng koneksyon ni Michael Yang pero imbis na umaksyon at mag-imbestiga pa nang mas malalim, former president Duterte resorted to threatening the life of Colonel Acierto. Akala ko ba war on drugs tayo? Anong nangyari? (These discussions are linked to POGO. Acierto first mentioned Michael Yang’s connection but instead of acting on this and probing deeper, former president Duterte resorted to threatening the life of Colonel Acierto. I thought he was waging a war on drugs? What happened?),” he said.
Acop further cited reports of Yang’s corporate network, including Empire 999 Realty Corporation, which owned a Pampanga warehouse where authorities seized 560 kg. of shabu worth PHP3.6 billion.
“Madami at paulit-ulit na ang lumilitaw na koneksyon ni Michael Yang sa business ng droga pero nakakapagtaka na rin sa gitna ng isang state policy called the war on drugs, where thousands were killed kahit sabi-sabi lang ang basis, wala pa rin nakakagalaw against Michael Yang (Several connections between Michael Yang and the drug trade have repeatedly surfaced, but it is puzzling that in the midst of a state policy called the war on drugs, where thousands were killed on the basis of tattles, Michael Yang remained untouchable),” Acop said.
‘Perverse’ reward system
Acop likewise alleged that the Duterte administration’s war on drugs incentivized extrajudicial killings through a reward system.
Rewards ranged from PHP20,000 to PHP1 million, as testified by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Royina Garma and corroborated by former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.
“It was such a strong but perverse incentive to play along with the war on drugs,” Acop said.
Acop pledged that the committee would leave “no stone unturned” in its investigation and would push for legislative reforms to ensure such abuses are not repeated.
“Ipagpapatuloy po natin ang ating inquiry at sisiguraduhin po naming ayusin ang ating mga batas upang masiguro na hindi na mauulit ang mga kaganapang ating natuklasan (Yes, we will continue our inquiry and ensure that we amend our laws to prevent the recurrence of the events we have uncovered),” he said. (PNA)
