Brodett's father to submit bank accounts to probe panel

MANILA, Philippines - The father of one of the alleged drug pushers called the “Alabang Boys” agreed last Thursday to allow the examination of his family’s bank accounts but only under executive session.

Butch Brodett, father of suspect Richard Brodett, told the independent panel created by President Arroyo that his family owns four units at the West of Ayala Condominium worth about P40 million. The units were being rented out and generate some P400,000 a month. Their family also owns a P20-million house and lot in Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City.

He said he also earns P50,000 per month as director of Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong.

The panel is examining the financial background of the families of the Alabang Boys to determine if they were capable of raising at least P20 million to bribe officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Prosecutors have denied accepting any bribe for dismissing the drug trafficking charges against the suspects.

The three-member panel is composed of retired Supreme Court associate justice Carolina Griño-Aquino as chair, former Court of Appeals justice and Judicial and Bar Council member Raoul Victorino and San Beda College of Law dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino.

State Prosecutor John Resado and Senior State Prosecutor Phillip Kimpo said they recommended the dismissal of the case against drug suspects Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson through joint inquest resolution dated Dec. 2, 2008 because of the “tremendous defects” in the case filed by the PDEA.

The PDEA had maintained that the arrest of the three suspects on Sept. 20, 2008 in successive operations of its Special Enforcement Service led by Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino at the Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City and Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City were legal and that all three were not deprived of their constitutional rights.

The PDEA enforcement unit’s buy-bust operation conducted on suspected drug pushers Brodett, Tecson, and Joseph yielded the illegal drug Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine. 

Kimpo and Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño also approved Resado’s resolution.

The suspects remain under detention with the PDEA but DOJ prosecutors said they should have been released due to faulty evidence.

Resado again refused to waive his right under the bank secrecy law before the independent probe.

Kimpo said he believes the Anti-Money Laundering Council is already looking into his account in Land Bank of the Philippines branch near SM City in Manila.

The panel also interviewed during last Thursday’s hearing Janet Payoyo, secretary of Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, one of the DOJ officials implicated in the alleged bribery.

Blancaflor allegedly received P2.6 million on Dec. 19, 2008 or the day he reportedly called up Marcelino, head of the PDEA team that arrested the Alabang Boys, to check on the development of the drug case.

Blancaflor said he would bring his financial statements to the next hearing.

Payoyo testified that she forwarded the draft order for the release of drug suspects Brodett, Joseph and Tecson to the office of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez after Resado gave the go signal for her to do so. Lawyer Felisberto Verano Jr., counsel of Brodett and Tecson, had admitted that he prepared the draft order.

Resado is also being investigated for a cash deposit of P800,000 in his account on the same day he signed the joint resolution dismissing the case against the Alabang Boys. – With Delon Porcalla