11 remaining suspects in escape of Chinese drug lord identified

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the group who helped a Chinese drug lord and his two companions escape from their jail guard escorts last Feb. 20 have been identified.

Four of the 15 men were earlier arrested and are facing charges.

Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said authorities have established the names and faces of the 11 remaining suspects in the escape of Chinese drug lord Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Dy, his wife Wang Li Na, and Li Tian Hu.

“All have criminal records and operatives pursuing them have copies of their names and pictures,” said Cerbo.

Earlier, police operatives arrested Rodel Cambongga, who acted as a look out, and his alleged cohorts Emiliano Quilicol, Rene Bersales and chairman Leovino Fontanilla of Barangay Bayan Luma in Trece Martires, Cavite.

Charges have been filed against them, Cebro said.

Last week, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima met with officials of the National Bureau of Investigation and Chief Superintendent Federico Laciste, deputy chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Southern Luzon, to start the probe on how the convicts escaped.

Laciste said as early as August 2011, he sent a letter to the Department of Justice warning of a plot to spring the drug traffickers from the Cavite provincial jail.

The three are facing life terms for drug offenses.

Laciste said he had informed the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency about Li group’s plan.

He noted that security measures had been improved to prevent the escape but these apparently were loosened up.

He suggested that the government should evaluate other high-profile cases to prevent similar incident.

At the same time, Laciste appealed to De Lima to instruct DOJ prosecutors to take over high-profile cases now pending in various courts.

After the arrest in 2003 of the three Chinese drug operators for maintaining shabu warehouses and laboratory, the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court convicted them on April 29, 2009.

Before his arrest, Li had amassed much wealth from his illegal drug operations as evidenced by the numerous properties that he owns.

Records showed that Li had a condominium unit in Marina Bay Homes, an exclusive subdivision, a Jaguar car, beach resorts worth P46 million, three huge properties in Zambales, a mansion in Zambales, and bank accounts with large deposits. He also had five townhouses, each worth about P8 million.