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Category: Military
By Ellen Tordesillas
VERA Files
The soldier who stirred a hornet’s nest by accusing Department of Justice officials of bribery in the so-called “Alabang Boys” case could have been a millionaire by now.
Marine Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, chief of the Special Enforcement Service of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, has experienced being bribed by smugglers, politicians and drug dealers in his 14-year career as a military officer.
But Marcelino, who belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1994, said he has made it a point to give back the thick envelopes stuffed with cash, and was not even curious enough to count the money and see how much he is worth.
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Marcelino appointment covered by AFP regulation: AFP
Blame Arroyo for Marcelino appointment
Only in the Philippines.
Imagine a justice secretary giving drug syndicates ammunition to use against law enforcers. The drug lords must be rejoicing.
In his anger towards Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, who dared talk back to him at a hearing in the House of Representatives, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the Marine officer’s secondment at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is unconstitutional. Thus, all the operations conducted by Marcelino could be rendered invalid.
Several names have come up as the connections that the parents of Richard Brodett, one of the suspects in the September 2008 Ayala Alabang drug buy bust, tapped to free him and his two friends, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson.
Officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the lobbying came loaded with multi-million peso offers.
It did not matter if one was in or out of the government as long as he was willing to say the word like former Navotas Rep. Ricky Sandoval.
Golf, supposedly a game of honorable men, provided an important link in this despicable affair that that further ravaged the people’s faith in the justice system. PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said Sandoval, aside from being a townmate, is a golfing buddy. Sandoval, on the other hand, said that it was through golf that he met Butch Brodett, the father of Richard.
Natakatawa itong mga prosecutors sa Department of Justice. Nananakot na mag-resign daw sila at low morale na raw.
Sinisisi nila ang Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, lalo na si Marine Major Ferdinand Marcelino na siyang nag-expose na may lagayan sa Department of Justice para ma-dismis ang kaso laban kina Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, at Joseph Tecson na nahulihan ng marijuana at cocaine noong Septyembe 2008.
Sinong tinatakot nila? Hindi naman siguro ang taumbayan na pesteng-peste sa kanila. Hindi naman siguro ang PDEA.
by Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Retired generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are backing the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and its chief Dionisio Santiago for enforcing drug laws “without fear of favor.”
Mired in a bribery scandal involving a drug case against the so-called “Alabang Boys,” the PDEA must be supported by “patriotic and decent” people for continuing to perform its mandated duties well, said the Association of General and Flag Officers, Inc. (AGFO) in a resolution.
“Through the years, the PDEA has been conscientious in the performance of its duties [and] in doing its mandated tasks, it has been subjected to a lot of innuendoes and brickbats, so as to discredit its good name its personnel,” said the resolution.
These prosecutors are hopeless. They see nothing wrong in an undersecretary following up the release of a drug pusher. They see nothing wrong in a defense lawyer preparing a release order, which should be their job. Ang yayabang pa.
by Evangeline de Vera
Malaya
State prosecutors at the Department of Justice yesterday threw their support behind the resolution of the anti-narcotics task force that dismissed the drug charges against the so-called Alabang Boys.
The 100-strong State Prosecutors Association, led by its president State Prosecutor Crisaldo Rioflorido, faced the media following an emergency meeting among its members to denounce the criticisms hurled at the DOJ fiscals triggered by allegations by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency of a payoff in exchange for the release of the three suspects.
by Joel Guinto
Inquirer.net
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Alexander Yano called to his office a Marine officer who exposed the alleged bribery in the so-called “Alabang Boys” case, advising him to stay “on the side of the truth,” the military’s spokesman said.
During a 15-minute meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Yano also warned Major Ferdinand Marcelino, who is detailed to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), against groups with “vested interest” that might take advantage of him, Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres Jr., AFP public affairs office chief, said.
“The advice of the chief of staff [to Marcelino] is to always be on the side of the truth and preserve his moral courage…and lastly, to be wary of some groups with vested interest who may take advantage of the situation,” Torres said.
Update: Zuño asks for relief of his illegal drugs task force saying they cannot anymore work under a cloud of doubt.
The public should watch out for Malacañang’s attempts to smother the expose on the involvement of justice officials in illegal drugs.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez tried to do that during last Wednesday hearing at the House Committee on dangerous drugs when he attempted to turn the table on Marine Major Ferdinand Marcelino, head of the Special Enforcement Service of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency blaming him for not arresting on the spot the the one who offered PDEA bribe in exchange for dropping the case against Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson, in their early ’20s and from well-to-do families.
It is in this context that we are wary about the statement of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to review the assignment of military personnel in civilian agencies in connection with the important role that Marcelino played in the expose of the rot in the Department of Justice.
Col. Ariel Querubin, who has been in detention for almost three years, was allowed to be with his 87-year old mother on her birthday on New Year’s day in their place in La Union. A friend who was there wrote to me the heartwarming reunion of the Medal of Valor awardee with his mother.
I had a very good reflection about hope and family this New Year. For the first time, I celebrated New Year out of town with a very special family. And the experience gave me a chance to reflect about how my mother had been spending Christmasses away from us for 10 years now. How she must have longed to come home. Oh how I missed her now. Let me then share with you, a new year’s story about a mother and son that I will never forget…