Family feud surfaces in drug case probe

The House inquiry on the arrest of three suspected wealthy drug pushers took a dramatic turn yesterday when a feud surfaced among family members of one of the suspects.

Dave Brodett, his wife Marisa and their son Anthony told the committee on dangerous drugs that the arrest of their relative, Richard, has destroyed their family.

Richard is Dave’s nephew. His father Butch and Dave are brothers. Butch’s wife is a first cousin of Conrado Limcaoco, an adviser of President Arroyo and head of the Philippine Information Agency.

Richard’s family stays at the affluent Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa where Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents arrested him and Jorge Joseph in a drug buy-bust operation last Sept. 19. The third suspect, Joseph Tecson, was later nabbed in Cubao, Quezon City.

Dave Brodett’s family refused to talk to media after appearing before the committee on dangerous drugs yesterday.

PDEA agents who accompanied them said the family also resides in Ayala Alabang.

But Dave told congressmen that they are the poor Brodetts.

“I am a former basketball player-actor. I now earn my living teaching kids how to play basketball and golf. But with the arrest of Richard, people are saying we are involved in illegal drugs. People, including my students, are avoiding us,” he said, his voice choking with emotion.

“I can assure you that we are not involved in illegal drugs. We are not using drugs,” he said, though his son Anthony later admitted he once used marijuana.

He appealed to his brother Butch and his family not to cover up Richard’s alleged use and peddling of unlawful drug substances.

“Let’s admit the truth and start a new life,” he said.

His son, Anthony, claimed that Richard, who is turning 26 in July, has been hooked on drugs since he was 16.

‘Not only user, but pusher’

“He is not only a user, he’s a pusher,” he said.

He claimed that Richard’s mother Myra, Limcaoco’s cousin, is a marijuana user.

“She tells Richard to go to Sagada (in Mt. Province) to get marijuana whenever they ran out of stock,” he said.

He said they decided to tell their stories to protect themselves from suspicion that they are into illegal drugs.

Answering questions from committee members, Dave Brodett said they are not among the unnamed informants who led PDEA agents to the so-called Alabang boys.

But PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago admitted that it was Dave’s wife Marisa who sent him a text message about millions changing hands in connection with the case.

“She sent me a text message that I have already been bribed. I flared up,” he said.

However, when asked by the committee about the text and the supposed millions changing hands, Marisa Brodett said she would have to consult a lawyer.

The committee, conscious of the rights of a witness against self-incrimination and to remain silent, respected her decision.

During the hearing, upon the motion of Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, the committee asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into a report in The STAR that a certain Alex Tan and Mike Muslim were the alleged fixers in the case of the Alabang boys.

Department of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has asked the NBI to conduct an “internal investigation” into who among DOJ officials and prosecutors were allegedly bribed in connection with the case.

But Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said the NBI might not be the proper body to investigate DOJ officials “since it is a DOJ agency.”

“For instance, can they investigate an undersecretary who is their superior and whose name has been dragged into this controversy?” he asked. – Jess Diaz