CHARGES were filed yesterday against a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director, two agents and a driver arrested last Tuesday for peddling illegal drugs while authorities continued to dig deep to identify the suspects’ cohorts and clients.
“They were already subjected to inquest proceedings this morning,” PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said, referring to the suspects led by PDEA-Southern District Office (SDO) director Enrique Lucero.
Lucero, PDEA agents Anthony Vic Alabastro and Jaireh Llaguno, and Mark Warren Mallo, Lucero’s personal driver, were arrested by PNP and PDEA operatives after selling shabu to a poseur buyer inside the SDO office in Taguig City last Tuesday night.
Seized from them were 1.35 kilos of suspected shabu worth P9.18 million, the buy-bust money, four firearms, and a digital weighing scale.
“We are waiting for the resolution of the prosecutor if it will be filed in court,” said Fajardo, referring to the charges of sale and possession of illegal drugs lodged before the Taguig city Prosecutor’s Office against the suspects.
Fajardo said the PNP has a strong case against the suspects and expressed confidence the charges will prosper in court.
Before the suspects’ arrest, Fajardo said “confidential information” reported the illegal activities of Lucero and his men.
“It appeared that the PDEA personnel are involved in the so-called recycling of illegal drugs,” said Fajardo, adding a poseur buyer conducted a test buy for 50 grams of shabu.
Last December 6, Fajardo said the buy-bust operation was hatched. She said Lucero offered to sell 100 grams to the poseur buyer “since trust was already established, there were already transactions prior to the buy-bust.”
PNP and PDEA operatives arrested Lucero and the other suspects after they sold 100 grams of shabu worth P680,000.
Fajardo said the investigation will not stop even with the filing of charges against the suspects.
“The investigation will not stop here. We have ongoing follow-up operation and investigation… We are expanding the investigation outside this office (SDO),” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said the investigation will be conducted in coordination with PDEA, adding the probe will also be part of the PDEA’s internal cleansing efforts.
“That will be coordinated with PDEA, with the PDEA leadership. We are looking at the possibility that it’s not only Lucero (and his cohorts) who (are) involved in the recycling of illegal drugs at PDEA,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said they are hoping to identify the possible cohorts and clients of Lucero’s group, adding: “It’s premature to speculate right now but we cannot discount the possibility that there are others involved here.
“We are going to find out the extent of the problem in the coming days or weeks because we are conducting an in-depth investigation to find out how deep is this problem with respect to recycling of illegal drugs,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said Lucero and his group were so bold they even used the SDO office to sell illegal drugs.
“Can you imagine they used their own office to sell (illegal drugs)? It’s really a cause of concern not only for the PNP but the PDEA as well. That’s why, as I said earlier, we are thankful that PDEA is open to this (thorough) investigation,” she said.
“The follow-up investigation is being conducted in collaboration with PDEA because this will be part of the internal cleansing of their ranks. WE welcome the cooperation of PDEA in our objective to end illegal activities of PDEA personnel,” said Fajardo.
