'All falsehoods': Paolo Duterte, Paul Gutierrez respond to ex-Customs exec’s drug smuggling claim

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Paolo Duterte (Davao City) has denied having transacted with former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who recently namedropped him and two others as being the true owners of the multi-billion peso shabu smuggled into the country through magnetic lifters in 2018. 

Media task force security chief Paul Gutierrez has also denied being the emissary that hurled death threats against Guban in 2018 to warn him not to reveal that Paolo Duterte, Duterte's brother-in-law Mans Carpio and businessman Michael Yang had ties to illegal drugs smuggling.
 
In a statement on Friday, Duterte insisted that he has never met Guban and that he sees no reason for him to mention his name during the House multi-committee's probe into the illegal drug trade, the first hearing of which was conducted on Friday.

During this hearing, Guban, who is serving a life sentence for charges related to importng dangerous drugs, took back his testimony six years ago and tagged the three individuals as the owner of the shipment with illegal drugs worth up to P11 billion.

"Hindi ko po kilala si Jimmy Guban at sigurado ako na hindi rin niya ako kilala. Wala kaming anumang transaction o ugnayan kaya walang rason na siya ay pagbantaan kung babanggitin man niya ang pangalan ko," Duterte said.

(I do not know Jimmy Guban, and I am certain that he does not know me either. We have had no transaction or connection, so there is no reason for him to be warned against mentioning my name.)
 
Former President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest son also questioned Guban's credibility given he was cited in contempt by the Senate blue ribbon committee when it investigated the smuggling incident in 2018.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez said in a separate statement that Guban's statements are "all falsehoods" and "clearly fed to him by someone else." 

Gutierrez said he has never met "the Dutertes, Atty. Mans Carpio or Michael Yang."

"I also never had any personal or professional dealings with Mr. Guban while I was covering the customs beat, although the things I’ve been hearing about him at the waterfront are all unsavory," Gutierrez said.

Aside from never having met Guban, the media task force security head also refuted the surprise witness' claim that he was an assistant or staff of "Benny Antiporda." 

"At the time that he said that I confronted him at the detention center of the Senate, I am not an 'assistant' of Mr. Benny Antiporda but a reporter and columnist for my newspaper, People’s Tonight covering the customs and Senate beat," Gutierrez said.

"As the Senate and customs beats are my area of coverage, I need to be there to cover the drug smuggling probe and all hearings at the Senate," he added. 

Gutierrez described himself as a "lowly reporter" who was not in any position to threaten Guban in front of Senate blue ribbon committee staff.

"While I indeed visited him once right after the Senate ordered him detained, it was to check on his health condition as many at the time believed that he is just feigning ill health to avoid further questioning," he said. 

"I also want to confirm from him if a former National Press Club officer is his “PR” as this former officer is seen attending the Senate hearings although he no longer represents any newspaper. He did not answer me," Gutierrez added.