(Photo: Wikipedia/Judgefloro)
The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday has formed a fact-finding panel that will investigate the alleged irregularities in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in connection with the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu from China in May.
“The Office of the Ombudsman has created a panel to conduct a fact-finding investigation into alleged anomalies in the release of P6.4 billion worth of Methamphetamine or ‘shabu,’ through the green lane of the Bureau of Customs,” the anti-graft office said in a statement.
“The release was allegedly facilitated by public officials who were identified as members of the ‘Davao Group’ by Customs broker Mark Ruben Taguba II,” it added.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued Office Order No. 765 “creating a special panel of fact-finding investigators to look into the controversial cargo from China that slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC).”
The office said that the independent probe conforms to President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement last October 31 that he leaves the investigation to the independent agencies to find out whether his son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and son-in-law, Manases Carpio, were involved in the supposed ‘Davao Group.’
“Who would believe me if I investigate my son and my son-in-law? You, can you investigate your mother or father? I leave it to the independent agencies,” Duterte said.
Earlier, Customs fixer Mark Taguba, in a Senate hearing, claimed that the Davao group was involved with the peculiarities within the BOC.