Robredo urges gov’t to conduct thorough probe into P11-B shabu controversy

FILE: Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. (Photo: VP Leni Robredo/Facebook)

Vice President Maria Lenor “Leni” Robredo urged President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to conduct a thorough investigation into the entry of an estimated P11-billion shabu (crystal meth) shipment into the Philippines.

Robredo said this on Saturday, October 27, as she believes that transferring outgoing Bureau of Customs (BOC) Chief Isidro Lapeña into another post amid the controversy will not be enough.

After persistently belying the claims of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that the four magnetic lifters discovered in Cavite last August contained illegal drugs, Lapeña on Wednesday finally agreed with the anti-drug agency as he admitted that these containers may have contained shabu.

This, after the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) reported that the magnetic lifters were not designed for lifting heavy objects.

“Ngayong malinaw na nakalusot ang ganito kalaking shipment ng shabu sa BOC, kailangang sundan na ito agad ng malalim at seryosong imbestigasyon ng lahat ng may kinalamang opisyal (Since it is clear now that this huge shabu shipment was able to slip past the BOC, a deeper and serious investigation of all officials involved should be followed),” Robredo said in a statement.

“Hindi sapat na ilipat lamang sa ibang opisina ang mga nagkulang sa kanilang tungkulin, dapat managot ayon sa takda ng batas matapos ang imbestigasyon (It is not enough to just transfer officials who did not fully accomplish their responsibilities, they should be held liable according to the rule of law after the investigation),” she added.

On Thursday, Duterte announced that Lapeña will be the next director general of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), replacing Guiling Mamondiong who resigned to run for governor of Lanao del Sur in the 2019 midterm elections.

The President then assigned Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Rey Leonardo Guerrero, former chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to take over the BOC.

Robredo, in her statement, described the entry of illicit drugs in the country as a “huge threat” that the administration should address in its anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“Kahit gaano pa kabagsik ang pagpapatupad ng ‘war on drugs,’ kung tuloy ang pasok ng shabu sa Pilipinas, lalo na’t kung nailulusot ito sa BOC, hindi matatapos ang problema natin sa droga (No matter how pierce the implementation of this war on drugs, if shabu continues to slip past the Philippines, especially in the BOC, our problem in illegal drugs will never end),” the Vice President said.

“Simple lang naman dapat ang ating susunding polisiya: Kung walang drug supply, walang drug addict. Umaasa tayo na kikilusan agad ng pamahalaan ang isyung ito (our policy is simple: if there is no drug supply, there will be no drug addict. We hope that the government will immediately address this issue),” she continued.

Malacañang on Friday attested to Lapeña’s integrity who was accused of covering up for the drug syndicates behind the smuggled shabu, maintaining that the President continues to have “complete trust and confidence” on the outgoing Customs chief.

[READ: Drug syndicates in cahoots with corrupt BOC staff to vilify Lapeña — Palace]