Chinese community decries PDEA shakedown in Manila

The Chinese community is up in arms against the alleged rash of shakedown operations by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Manila’s business centers and urged Undersecretary Anselmo Avenido of PDEA to stop the illegal activity.

PDEA agents have been allegedly victimizing Chinese businessmen based in Malate and Adriatico in Manila in the past few days.

One of their victims, a certain Robert, claimed that he lost P30,000 in cash, a cellular phone worth P30,000, a ring and a Rolex watch to the PDEA agents last week.

Sources said Robert, a businessman, was walking inside a shopping center in Adriatico when a woman started a conversation with him. He said he was was about to walk away from the woman when a group of men blocked his path, handcuffed and dragged him into a waiting vehicle at about 3 p.m.

The victim was blindfolded by his captors before divesting him of his cash, cellphone, ring and the Rolex watch.

Worried friends of Robert who have been waiting for him in his office called up his cellphone but the line was dead.

A few hours later, a group of men showed up at the parking lot of the shopping center to retrieve the car of Robert. They identified themselves as policemen and showed the car keys to the security guards.

At about 10 p.m., the wife of Robert reported to the Station 5 of the Western Police District (WPD) that her husband was missing.

The victim’s friends and a valet parking attendant of the shopping center also showed up later at the police precinct in Sta. Monica to report that they saw Robert’s car parked in front of a neaby business establishment.

When cornered by Manila policemen, the raiders identified themselves as PDEA agents, claiming that they arrested Robert on drug charges. They took pictures of Robert and brought him to PDEA headquarters for booking.

The PDEA agents also submitted for examination to the crime laboratory in Camp Crame the alleged evidence they recovered from Robert.

However, Robert’s case reached the attention of Teresita Ang See, president of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran Inc., who immediately made representations with Avenido’s deputy, Ret. Gen. Rodolfo Caisip regarding his case.

In the presence of Caisip, the PDEA raiders reportedly returned Robert’s ring and Rolex watch and issued Robert a receipt of the returned items. It was not known what charges the PDEA agents had filed against Robert.

But friends of Robert are prodding him to file a formal complaint against the PDEA operatives.

The Star tried but failed to reach Caisip and Avenido yesterday for their comment.