'Alabang Boys' probe panel to issue report in 10 days

MANILA, Philippines - The independent panel created by President Arroyo concluded yesterday the investigation on the alleged bribery of state prosecutors handling the controversial case against three suspected drug pushers dubbed as the “Alabang Boys.”

Retired Supreme Court associate justice Carolina Griño–Aquino, chair of the panel, said they would review all documents and testimonies from over 20 witnesses called during the 10-day hearing, and after 10 days their findings would be submitted to the Office of the President.

“We will have to study the facts and decide on what findings to make. We thank everybody for cooperating,” she said.

On the last day of the hearing yesterday, it was learned that the allegation that bribe money changed hands for the dismissal by Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors of the charges filed against the Alabang Boys started from a relative of one of the suspects.

Derrick Carreon, spokesman of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), yesterday told the panel that it was Marissa Brodett, wife of the uncle of drug suspect Richard Brodett, who told them to check on the possible “fixing” of the case at the DOJ.

Carreon said an informant who introduced herself as a certain “Starsky” called their office a week after the arrest of Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson on Sept. 20 last year.

PDEA agents arrested Brodett, Joseph and Tecson in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City and Cubao, Quezon City on Sept. 20, 2008. The suspects were caught with the illegal drug Ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine in a buy-bust operation.

The PDEA filed drug trafficking charges against the suspects but state prosecutor John Resado issued a Dec. 2 resolution that dismissed the charges due to technicalities.

Carreon said they again received a call a month later from Starsky, who told them that the P20-million bribe money supposedly rejected by PDEA officials for the release of the three suspects would be used to just fix the case at DOJ.

At the time, the caller already revealed her identity.

“She (Marissa Brodett) said: check the reports of fixing at the DOJ,” said Carreon, adding that he did not know if she had material evidence.

Asked by Justice Aquino if he verified the information given by the Brodett relative, Carreon said he did not have the capacity to dig deeper since his mandate as head of the public information office of PDEA was limited.

Marissa Brodett again called Carreon on Dec. 21 last year and claimed that she was told that PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago accepted the bribe money. This allegation irked Santiago, according to Carreon.

Asked what he thought was the intention of the Brodett relative in giving PDEA certain information, Carreon told the panel: “She wanted the boys detained and the case filed. She had three children, two of them were exposed to drugs (because of Richard Brodett).”

“I don’t see anything wrong with her credibility. I think it would be very painful to pin down a relative,” he added.

Marissa appeared at the earlier hearing of the panel, but did not testify.

Brodett’s lawyer Felisberto Verano Jr. said the testimony of Carreon only proved that there was no direct evidence to prove the alleged bribery at the DOJ.

Verano believes that the allegation was just fabricated by Marissa.

“It’s clear that she (Marissa) is not in good terms with Richard Brodett’s family. It’s very obvious that the motivation of Marissa was to put down the family of Tommy. Obviously she is not doing it for love of brother or country but to put down the family of Myra Brodett.

“They (the two Brodett families) have been fighting ever since, for nine years,” he said.

Verano believes Marissa did not take the witness stand for fear of committing mistakes that is natural to someone “telling a lie.”

State prosecutors involved in the case had already denied receiving bribe money. They claimed they recommended the dismissal of the case due to several lapses in the conduct of PDEA’s entrapment operation and the handling of evidence reportedly seized from the suspects.