By Ade S. Fajardo
Congress has assembled four committees to find answers — did the Duterte administration purposely employ terror in its war on drugs to intimidate the dissenters and quietly rake in money through massive illegal drug importations and uncontrolled online gaming operations?
The first hearing held by the Quadcomm in Pampanga did not disappoint.
Jimmy S. Guban, a former intelligence officer at the Bureau of Customs, named members of the former first family as padrinos of at least one bigtime illegal drug importation worth P6.4 billion in 2018.
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Guban said that Davao City Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, Jr. acted as the emissary for Paolo “Polong” Duterte, Manases “Mans” Carpio, and Chinese businessman Michael Yang to facilitate the entry of drug importations through the country’s principal gateway — the Manila International Container Port.
He said that Abellera wanted the intelligence section “not to be so strict” with his group’s shipments.
Thus, the Bureau of Customs ignored intelligence reports from Abellera’s dockhands themselves that the shipments contain illegal drugs combined with regular items like vegetables and sugar.
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Customs was constrained to report the shipments as “missing,” and put on a hold and alert status. It had become such a trend that it prompted Congress to direct former Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena to explain the phenomenon.
Guban testified that the missing containers totaled around 700, half of which supposedly contained illegal substances imported from China. If true, shabu would flood the market, explaining the drop in street prices.
It is ironic is that these importations were made when President Rodrigo Duterte was waging his violent war on drugs.
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One of those shipments could not escape scrutiny. Guban had to act despite Abellera’s constant representations for the Davao Group.
Sometime in May or June 2018, Colonel Eduardo Acierto alerted Guban of an incoming shipment of illegal drugs with Vecaba Trading identified as the consignee. He was requested to verify if Vecaba Trading was duly accredited with the Bureau of Customs.
Guban confirmed that Vecaba was not a Customs-accredited importer or consignee.
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On August 7, 2018, the shipment container was opened by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Two magnetic lifters were found inside.
They are similar to the magnetic lifters found in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. Although empty, the PDEA found traces of illegal substances in the GMA lifters.
Guban’s discovery of the lifters at the MICP subsequently led to a Senate investigation where he was held in contempt and detained in the Senate premises.
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Did Abellera’s tentacles extend to journalists?
Guban said that Paul Gutierrez, a columnist of People’s Tonight, visited him in detention and threatened him against naming Michael Yang and the Duterte family. This was the reason why he did not mention Michael Yang and the Dutertes.
In May 2023, President Bongbong Marcos appointed Gutierrez as executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
Gutierrez admits having confronted Guban at the detention center of the Senate. He said he wanted to question Guban about feigning illnesses to avoid testifying.
Let us see if his story holds water once the Quadcomm calls him to testify./WDJ