Dismissed cop in P6.8-billion shabu case faces arrest

MANILA, Philippines — Dismissed police officer Eduardo Acierto will face arrest if he fails to show up at the next hearing of the House of Representatives on the case of the P6.8-billion missing shabu.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs, said yesterday his panel and the committee on good government and public accountability have decided to recommend to the House leadership to use the chamber’s “coercive powers” on Acierto, a former police superintendent.

“These powers include the issuance of a subpoena and in case a subpoena is ignored, the next step is to issue an arrest order,” he said.

Barbers said an arrest order usually results in the apprehension of a wanted witness, as in the case of Ronnie Dayan, who went into hiding but was eventually caught and testified against Sen. Leila de Lima when the House looked into her supposed involvement in illegal drugs.

Aside from Acierto, other public officials and private persons who have snubbed the joint inquiry of the dangerous drugs and good government committees would face arrest, he added.

Barbers pointed out that among these individuals is a certain Meg Santos, whom Customs intelligence officer Jaime Guban has described as an “operator,” or one who facilitates the importation and release of cargo and contraband at the port area in Manila.

Acierto and Santos have so far evaded the joint inquiry, he said.

On Thursday, Barbers asked Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde to exert all efforts to locate Acierto. “We need to talk to this guy because he is a key figure in the entry here of this huge shipment of shabu,” he said.

Barbers said he had asked the PNP more than a month ago to search for Acierto, but so far the police organization has not found him.

“I cannot believe that they cannot find one of their own,” he said.

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Acierto and several high-ranking PNP officers in connection with the questionable licensing of hundreds of assault rifles, many of which were later seized by soldiers from New People’s Army rebels.

Acierto was formerly with the PNP anti-drug special operations task force.

Barbers said Acierto, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) deputy director Ismael Fajardo and Guban are the three “prominent figures” behind the P6.8-billion shabu shipment.

He said the three handled the supposed intelligence information on the arrival at the Manila port of two magnetic lifters containing more than 300 kilos of shabu, which Customs and PDEA agents seized on Aug. 7.

He said it was Guban who provided Customs and PDEA details on the shipment, including the number of the container van and the port of arrival, claiming Acierto provided these to him.

What was suspicious is that the alleged cooperation among Guban, Acierto and Fajardo was not reported beforehand to their superiors, he added.

Barbers pointed out PDEA director general Aaron Aquino and outgoing Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña have confirmed the prior non-reporting of the supposed collaboration among the three “prominent figures.”

The reporting “was just FYI (for your information) after the fact,” Aquino told congressmen on Wednesday.

Barbers said another suspicious thing is Guban’s testimony that Acierto asked him to look for a “consignee-for-hire” for a second shipment of four magnetic lifters PDEA seized in a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez in Cavite on Aug. 9.