Solon ‘absolves’ Lapeña in multi-billion shabu smuggling

FILE: “ ASEAN VS DRUG MENACE. Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, lauds President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong political will in combating the illegal drug problem. Barbers held a press briefing on the eve of the 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Fact-Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) to Combat the Drug Menace. According to Barbers, the AIFOCOM meet will allow member-countries to exchange best practices and strengthen cooperation in addressing the drug menace. ” (Photo: By Press and Public Affairs Bureau, House of Representatives of the Philippines/Wikimedia commons, Public Domain)

MANILA — The chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs on Monday said former Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner Isidro Lapeña has no accountability for the entry of multibillion-peso shabu shipments into the country.

In a press conference, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said even when command responsibility is considered in the alleged PHP11-billion smuggled shabu that slipped past the BOC, Lapeña should not face any serious issues of accountability.

“Wala akong nakikitang kinalaman si Commissioner Lapeña dyan sa pagpapalusot ng mga shipments o illegal na shipments o kargamentong yan (I don’t see any involvement of Commissioner Lapeña in letting these illegal shipments slip past [Customs]),” Barbers said.

“Well, if that (command responsibility) would be considered, I don’t think it would apply in a criminal situation such as smuggling of illegal drugs, then sa tingin ko walang ganung kabigat na accountability si Commissioner Lapeña (in my view, Commissioner Lapeña has no serious accountability),” he added.

Barbers said his committee will continue its inquiry into the entry of billions of pesos’ worth of shabu into the country in magnetic lifters either this week or next week.

He also noted that subpoenas will be issued against sacked Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) deputy chief Ismael Fajardo and dismissed Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto, both of whom were implicated in illegal drug activities.