GMA reconvenes panel to probe Subic drug case

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has reconvened the independent panel that investigated the alleged bribery in the controversial “Alabang Boys” drug case, this time to look into the dismissed drug case against an alleged drug lord in Subic.

San Beda College of Law Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, one of the three members of the panel, confirmed to The STAR that they received an invitation from the Palace signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita for them to investigate alleged irregularities in the dismissal of the complaint against Anthony Ang by government prosecutors in August last year.

“We will have to meet first to discuss this and finalize our decision but we are inclined to accept the invitation,” he said in a phone interview.

“We are being asked to specifically look for irregularities in the handling of this case against Anthony Ang,” he added.

The two other members of the independent panel were retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino and retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorina.

Fr. Aquino said they would coordinate with the Office of the Solicitor General, which will provide assistance to the panel, to set the schedule and venue of their investigation.

It was the same panel that investigated the dismissal of the case against drug suspects Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson, dubbed as the Alabang Boys, at the Department of Justice.

Its findings and recommendations were accepted by President Arroyo, who ordered the filing of administrative charges against the state prosecutors who handled the case.

The complaint against Ang for the alleged smuggling of P4.62 billion worth of shabu to the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City was dismissed on Aug. 27 last year.

Earlier reports said the 700 kilos of shabu were sealed in carton boxes and labeled as computer parts. Investigation led authorities to a warehouse owned by Ang, where 60 more boxes of illegal drugs were found.

The shabu seized from his warehouse was said to be worth P5 billion in its pure form and P15 billion when processed.

Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Vicente Sotto III said it was the biggest shipment of shabu seized so far.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator Armand Arreza earlier alleged that Ang tried to bribe the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group and his agents with P50 million to dismiss the case. The case was dismissed three months after the incident.

Earlier last month, Ang reportedly escaped to Taiwan with five other suspected drug smugglers using the same vessel he had used to bring in the contraband last year.