Fiscals seek hold departure order vs traders in P6.4 billion shabu shipment

MANILA, Philippines — Government prosecutors sought a hold departure order (HDO) against the businessmen involved in the shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China.

Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors filed a motion before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 asking the court to issue an HDO against Richard Tan, Manny Li, Kenneth Dong, and three others who face a drug importation trial for the shipment of 602 kilos of shabu that slipped past Customs last year and ended up at a warehouse in Valenzuela City.

Tan, who owns Hongfei Logistics to which the warehouse was leased, and his co-accused remain at large since Presiding Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa issued an arrest warrant after finding probable cause against them.

The respondents are either Chinese or Taiwanese citizens, with last known addresses in Metro Manila, and thus the risk of fleeing their non-bailable charges is high, according to the prosecutors.

“Being Chinese and Taiwanese citizens, the probability of flight of the above-named accused are strong to escape prosecution, as well as to avoid facing their criminal liability... In fact, the warrants for the arrest of the said accused remain unserved to them,” the prosecution said in its motion.

The prosecution thus asked the court to issue the HDO  and direct the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs to include them in the hold departure list “to prevent them from leaving the Philippine territorial jurisdiction until the herein criminal case against them be fully terminated.”

Meanwhile, alleged customs fixer Mark Taguba, who exposed the alleged grease money system in the customs bureau, is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa Metro Manila district jail as he faces trial for the importation.

The respondents also face a separate case at the Valenzuela Regional Trial Court, this time for the delivery and transportation of the cylinders of shabu to a warehouse there.

The respondents have questioned the filing of a separate case for allegedly causing double jeopardy.