Duterte orders arrest of Customs intel agent linked to alleged shabu smuggling
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he has ordered the arrest of a Customs intelligence man allegedly involved in the smuggling of shabu (methamphetamine) into the country.
Duterte said he ordered Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, to arrest Jimmy Guban of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and bring him to the National Bureau of Investigation.
“Tell me who is this guy asking for money, extortion. I will call him here, I’ll have him arrested. Kaya si Guban pinapa-aresto ko,” Duterte said Wednesday on the day the House of Representatives held an inquiry into the alleged smuggling of P6.8 billion worth of shabu into the country.
Generally, only courts can order arrests after the determination of probable cause. In a text message to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he has “to ask [the National Bureau of Investigation] if there’s a subsisting warrant or if there’s any ground for a warrantless arrest.”
The chief executive also claimed Guban was involved in the smuggling of shabu by facilitating its entry and faking identification cards.
Guban was included in the special report on law enforcement officials allegedly linked to the illegal drug trade that Duterte earlier released.
Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, had earlier detained Guban after he was cited in contempt for lying under oath. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
- Latest
- Trending
