Guard, gardener face charges over ‘fabricated’ info on drugs

MANILA, Philippines - Police will file perjury charges against a security guard and a gardener for accusing them of stealing shabu and money from convicted Chinese drug traffickers arrested last week.

Senior Superintendent Jose Mario Espino, relieved chief of the Anti-Organized Crime Division (AOCD) of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Roy Delvo Miralles of Guardshield Security Agency, and a certain Dino were merely fabricating information about the 80 kilos of shabu found at the safehouse of Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Dy, and his wife Wang Li Na in San Juan.

“The two were not allowed to get inside the compound and the house rented by Jackson Dy while the raid was being conducted so their story about the drugs and the money is highly improbable,” he said.

Miralles and Dino were each paid P5,000 to get  information about the Chinese couple and allow police safe passage through the subdivision during the raid last July 13, he added.

Espino said the two apparently saw media reports that the arrested couple was high profile and contacted police to demand additional monetary reward.

“The two men resented police failure to give additional money as their reward after the arrest... hence easy recruitment by the drug syndicate out to discredit the police raiders by offering them more money in exchange for false testimonies,” he said.

Espino said the two witnesses of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima against the arresting team are not police officers.

“The first man was a security guard of the subdivision, while the other was a gardener who moonlighted as garbage collector of the subdivision,”  he said.

Espino said the two were used as informants only hours before the arrest to confirm the identities of the people residing in the suspected safehouse of the Chinese drug lords.

“There was no cash or even a sachet of shabu recovered from the couple,” he said.

“Remember, they are fugitives and were living like hermits inside the house to prevent possible identification and to draw any attention.  

“Only few men were involved in the operation so that it will not be compromised, knowing the influence and sway of drug money.”

Espino said Li Tian Hua, the third companion of the Chinese drug lords, is a son of a Chinese general.

“It’s sad that they are also in government service,” he said. Li Tian Hua remains at large.

Superintendent Romeo Albert Baleros, also of the AOC-CIDG, said the Chinese couple was contacting a certain Ramil Soler, alias Bokbok, and a certain Noknok, who masterminded the rescue of the Chinese drug lords, not the slain Ricky Cadavero of the Ozamiz robbery gang.

“Ozamiz group is not only involved in bank robbery, they are also into kidnapping, gun-for-hire and the latest is rescue of high profile detainees for a fee,” he said. – With Edu Punay, Ed Amoroso