Will House probe into drugs, BOC reel in presidential son?

Presidential son Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte of Davao City will be next to be grilled by congressmen investigating the 16.4-billion “shabu” smuggling case if customs broker Mark Taguba positively links the young Duterte to smuggling activities in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

This early, however, Taguba’s credibility to testify about BOC corruption is being questioned by both lawmakers and the BOC’s Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Service.

Neil Estrella, chief of the BOC Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Service, protested that Taguba was “given all the leeway to smear some ranking BOC officials,” including him.

In a media interview, Quirino Rep. Dakila Cua, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, noted that Taguba did not specifically mention Vice Mayor Duterte’s name during Monday’s hearing on the shabu smuggling probe.

“Well, I believe, he did not say a name, he said the position. He said vice mayor,” recalled Cua.

However, the administration lawmaker said the House panel will have to invite Duterte’s son to shed light into the issue if Taguba is linking him to illegal activities in the BOC.

During Monday’s marathon hearing, Taguba said that certain persons he identified as involved in Customs corruption dropped the name of the vice mayor in illegal deals.

However, the House witness admitted that he has never met the young Duterte.

The grant of immunity from suits and security protection to Taguba appeared to be not a unanimous decision by members of the Committees on Ways and Means and on Dangerous Drugs.

“I don’t think it is correct to give him (Taguba) that privilege when he is the most guilty among those involved in the drug smuggling,” an administration lawmaker who requested anonymity lamented.

The lawmaker noted that Taguba is the son of a Customs broker who had previously been linked in media to massive smuggling activities in the BOC.