HONG KONG – Embattled Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson admitted here that almost seven grams of cocaine were found in his underwear but later retracted his statement.
Sources privy to the details of the case said Hong Kong airport customs officials initially reported the drugs seized from Singson weighed 26 grams.
Singson, however, admitted he had the drugs stashed in his underwear but it was only seven grams. The Ilocos lawmaker opted not to elaborate.
“Yes, (the drugs were found on me but) unfortunately, I can’t really talk about the case... Maybe after the trial, I can clarify everything,” Singson said.
After realizing that his admissions might affect the case against him, Singson later retracted his statements and said that he will neither confirm nor deny that drugs were indeed found inside his underwear.
His father, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, earlier claimed the drugs found in his son’s possession were contained inside a bottle, which explains why the drugs initially weighed 26 grams.
The elder Singson explained that the container alone weighed 12 grams while the drug mixture was about eight grams. He added that after removing the bottle and subjecting the narcotics to purity testing, it only weighed 6.6 grams.
“He was clean three months ago. He was only requested to courier the drugs,” the governor said, stressing that his son might have been set up.
The elder Singson revealed that he made a discreet background check on his son’s friends who came with him to Hong Kong when he was arrested last month.
Rep. Singson faced the Tsuen Wan Court on Aug. 19 where he was granted temporary liberty after posting a HK$2-million bail.
Tsuen Wan Principal Magistrate Ernest Lin allowed Singson to post a HK$1-million bail, while two of his friends in Hong Kong each shelled out HK$500,000 in surety bond.
Drug trafficking is normally a nonbailable offense under Hong Kong laws but the court apparently made an exception in Singson’s case, noting the lesser quantity of drugs seized from the Ilocos lawmaker.
Singson had earlier applied for bail twice on July 13 and 22 but was denied.
In justifying the application for bail, Singson’s counsel John Reading said the Ilocos legislator is of “good character” and a “man of independent means.”
Reading also told the court that Singson’s friends, businessman Derick Wong and Annie Shie, are willing to pay the surety bond for the Ilocos congressman.
Aside from allowing the bail, the court also ordered Singson to surrender his personal and diplomatic passports and report to the North Point Police Station between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Singson, in the meantime, is not allowed to leave Hong Kong.
The court has ordered the transfer of case to the Wan Chai District Court where Singson will appear on Sept. 7 for arraignment.
The older Singson, on the other hand, noted his son’s lawyers would push for the dismissal of the drug trafficking charge and reduce the case to mere drug possession.