PDEA to dig deeper into Iloilo shabu raid
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will dig deeper into the supposed wrongdoing of its agents who were serving a search warrant to illegal drug suspects in Jaro, Iloilo, last December 13.
PDEA agents confiscated about R380,000 worth of shabu and illegal firearms in a search of the residence of couple Arnulfo and Nilda Regalado in Barangay Sambag.
The Regalado couple got back at the PDEA agents, claiming the raid resulted in the loss of some R2.5 million worth of jewelry and personal belongings.
The couple then reported the incident to the Jaro police.
PDEA Spokesman Derrick Arnold Carreon said the agents in question have been placed on floating status and were being investigated at the PDEA national headquarters.
The relief order was issued by PDEA Director-General Aaron Aquino on December 17, 2018.
"Please be informed that this incident is already undergoing a thorough investigation by the PDEA Intelligence and Investigation Service upon orders of PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino," Carreon said.
He noted the Philippine National Police (PNP) was also conducting a parallel investigation to determine if the PDEA raiding team and other concerned authorities were liable or may have committed grave lapses during the operation.
In a bid to rid the agency of scalawags, Aquino had repeatedly vowed to leave no stone unturned in investigating its personnel suspected of being involved in the illegal drug trade.
However, PDEA will judiciously conduct such probe fairly without any bias as due process will strictly be followed to exonerate the guiltless and innocent PDEA personnel and impose severe actions against their scalawag counterparts.
Because of the incident, Aquino has also appointed Alex Tablate as PDEA Region 6 (Western Visayas) officer in charge (OIC) regional director, replacing Emerson Margate and after sacking eight other agents.
Carreon said that Margate is currently on floating status.
The relieved PDEA personnel were part of the team that raided the house of the Regalados.
Aquino said it was also questionable why the raiding team also failed to charge the couple.
Arnulfo and his brothers Cyril and Leo are siblings of Meriam Odicta, wife of slain drug lord Melvin Odicta.
The failure of PDEA-6 to file the charges paved the way for the Regalado couple and Cyril and Leo to go scot free after their arrest.
Aquino has maintained the internal cleansing in the agency will remain unimpeded.
True to his word, Aquino has continued the internal cleansing in at the PDEA with the firing of former PDEA Deputy Director for Administration Ismael Fajardo for his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.