Ex-solons dismiss 'PDEA leaks'
MANILA, Philippines — Former and incumbent lawmakers and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officials branded as false an allegedly leaked document from the agency following a series of Senate hearings on the matter.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), former Sen. Ping Lacson dismissed the unverified document from ex-PDEA agent Jonathan Morales linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to illegal drug use.
PDEA ‘leaks’ -
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) May 14, 2024
1. The leaked document exists;
2. An agent can type an intelligence report;
3. The said report was never submitted even for initial evaluation by his immediate superior;
4. There is no official report on record;
5. It is a scrap of paper.
Ang daming inabalang tao.
“An agent can type an intelligence report. The said report was never submitted even for initial evaluation by his immediate superior. There is no official report on record. It is a scrap of paper. Ang daming inabalang tao,” Lacson said.
Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes also claimed that the Senate hearings presided by Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as part of a “communications plan” to overthrow the president.
“‘Yung hearing na ginagawa ni Bato Dela Rosa sa Senado ay parte ng communications plan in connection with the ouster plot laban kay President Marcos,” Trillanes said.
The ex-PDEA agent Morales, who attested to the allegedly fake document, was believed to have been discredited after his string of criminal and administrative cases were revealed during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Monday.
Former PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac said Morales had admitted to planting evidence during an operation against alleged Filipino-Chinese drug suspects.
“Mr. Morales said that the contents of his affidavit were false because the evidence were fabricated and the evidence planted,” Cacdac said, citing a memorandum by the PDEA Legal and Prosecution Service dated December 26, 2012.
“Kaya ako po ay namangha. Ang tagal ko po sa serbisyo, ngayon lang ako nakaranas nang ganun. Samantala mga ahente po natin na hindi nag-aappear sa korte, at nadi-dismiss ang kaso, kinakasuhan na po namin agad,” the former PDEA chief stressed.
Following Cacdac’s statements, Morales was asked to respond and said, “Totoo po ‘yung sinasabi ni General Cacdac.”
PDEA Legal and Prosecution Service acting director Atty. Francis del Valle added that “the name Bongbong Marcos alyas Bonget does not appear in the national drug information system or interagency drug information database. Hence, he has never been included in the drug war list.”
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also said that Morales has never shown any evidence that corroborates his series of unfounded accusations during the Senate hearings.
“While certain claims were made, documentary evidence is yet to be presented. There were no pictures, no corroborating testimonies. In other words, this was solely based on a testimony of one person based on what appears to be hearsay evidence,” Zubiri said.
“Kailangan ng ebidensya. Hindi pwedeng sabi-sabi lang at pinapaalala natin ang halaga na mapagkakatiwalaang resources. Walang tsismis, walang pulitika, katotohanan lang."
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