Invoking innocence, Rep. Celeste welcomes anti-narcotics probers at his Bolinao resort

BOLINAO, Pangasinan — Anti-narcotics agents searched last Wednesday the resort and residence of Pangasinan 1st District Rep. Jesus “Boying” Celeste – earlier named by President Duterte on his list of alleged narco-politicians – and even investigated the supposed “submarine-drug laboratory” which turned out to be an old lifeboat stationed near the congressman’s beach playground in this town.

The joint investigation team from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 1, the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPO), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Provincial Health Office (PHO) found no evidence pointing to any illegal drugs operation at Celeste’s Barangay Luciente 1 property.

Rep. Celeste, along with his brother Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste, voluntarily submitted himself to a drug test and were found negative of any trace of illegal or addictive substances.

Mayor Celeste, who stood as the family spokesman, said their family has never been involved in any illegal drugs activity, including sale, protection or use of drugs.

He said they have been asking former President Fidel V. Ramos, a close ally of Duterte, to reveal who had falsely finger-pointed their family as being involved in the drug trade to mislead the President into including them in the notorious list.

“The root of all these accusations might be politics, because FVR’s (Ramos’) favorite nephew, former Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, was our political rival,” Mayor Celeste said in Filipino.