AGUIRRE: DRUG SUSPECTS CAN’T LEAVE PH SANS GOV’T CLEARANCE

The eight people who have been indicted for the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs last May cannot leave the country without clearance from the government, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Friday.

Aguirre made the remarks a day after immigration personnel barred businessman Richard Tan, also known as Chen Julong, from boarding a China-bound plane at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Tan, the owner of the Valenzuela City warehouse where lawmen found 605 kilograms of “shabu” (crystal meth) on May 26, was named by a Senate panel as the one “ultimately responsible” for the shipment.

The justice secretary pointed out that Tan and seven others had been placed under the immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) after they were charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for drug trafficking.

“There’s a process,” Aguirre said. “Since he already has an ILBO. Every time he leaves (the country), he should get an ‘ allowed departure’ order,” Aguirre told reporters in an interview.

“But the decision (of the DOJ) is not yet final. That’s why we only issued an ILBO. We will get a hold-departure order (later from the court),” he added.

Aguirre explained that only a court can issue a hold-departure order but an ILBO has a similar effect since the subject of the order must first secure permission from the DOJ before he or she can be allowed to leave the country.

Besides Tan, also indicted for drug trafficking were customs fixer Mark Ruben Taguba II, Cebu-based businessman Kenneth Dong, Eirene Mae Tatad, Teejay Marcellana, Chen Min, Jhu Mingjhun and Ched Ronghuan.