Estrada pal hits black propaganda, dares detractors to go to court

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Controversial businessman Lepeng Wee challenged Bohol Rep. Ernesto Herrera yesterday to prove in court the "black propaganda" the congressman is spreading about him.

Lepeng, an associate of ousted President Joseph Estrada, told The STAR that Herrera has no basis in accusing him of drug trafficking and smuggling drums of industrial chemicals into Zamboanga City.

"These are the unfounded archives of lies (to which) my detractors have tried to link me to destroy my reputation," he said.

Lepeng said Herrera is "riding" on the issues of drugs and smuggling to propel his candidacy to the Senate under the banner of the People Power Coalition in the May elections.

"These people have no other issues to talk about and that’s why they found me to propel their political candidacy," he said.

Lepeng said the Senate ad hoc committee on drugs which Herrera chaired in 1996 failed to link him to any case of drug trafficking in Mindanao or any other part of the country.

"It’s clear that they are apprehensive that they have found a match in my person," he said.

Lepeng said the 9th Narcotics Command, the National Bureau of Investigation and other "line agencies" have not found any evidence that would link him to drug trafficking.

In an earlier interview, Herrera accused Lepeng of involvement in smuggling 39 drums of "highly toxic materials" into Zamboanga City and urged President Arroyo to order the investigation of his activities.

However, Lepeng said he does not own the 39 drums of chemicals imported by Malaysian businessmen Ang Beng Ean and Tan Ngee Foo from Sandakan, Malaysia on June 30 last year.

The Malaysians had presented to Customs authorities all "legal and pertinent" documents to prove that they own the drums of chemicals, he added.

Lepeng said Ang and Tan had intended to invest in a foam factory in Zamboanga City but backed out of the project because the government delayed the start of their operation.

But Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat told The STAR yesterday Ang and Tan were not given the chance to testify on the allegedly smuggled chemicals.

Lepeng is planning to run for Zamboanga City mayor in May’s local elections under the Partido Ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban party.

Meanwhile, Brenda Nazareth, regional director of the Department of Science and Technology, said the drums contain chemical substances used as "re-agent" for the manufacture of foam, as indicated on their labels.