PDEA wants stronger drug charges vs 2 Japanese

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) asked the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday to upgrade the criminal charges filed against two Japanese nationals caught trying to smuggle illegal drugs out of the country via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last month.

Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago, PDEA director general, Hitomi Hasegawa and Reiichiro Hayashi should be charged with violation of Section 5, Article 2 (transportation of dangerous drugs) of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

“There was deception involved in concealing the illegal drug, which clearly indicated the intent to transport dangerous drugs,” he said.

Hasegawa, 50, was caught transporting about half a kilogram of shabu in a transparent cellophane bag taped to her person while going through the final security checkpoint at the NAIA Centennial Terminal on Sept. 15.

She was bound for Fukuoka, Japan.

Hayashi, 42, was undergoing baggage inspection on Sept. 18 when authorities detected at the initial screening checkpoint nine sachets of shabu and 25 pieces of bullets hidden inside an ashtray.

The two were turned over by the National Police’s Aviation Security Group to the PDEA.

Santiago said the PDEA Metro Manila Regional Office (MMRO), under Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, has recommended the filing of transportation of illegal drugs charges against the Japanese but the prosecutors handling the cases dropped it from the charge sheet.

“This (downgrading of the cases) could be the handiwork of unseen hands,” he said.

Prosecutors handling the cases only filed charges of Section 11, Article 2 (possession of dangerous drugs) of RA 9165 against the Japanese drug suspects, he added.

Santiago said circumstances and evidence against the two Japanese also constitute transportation of illegal drugs, a charge that is separate from and more grave than mere possession.

He has already tapped the PDEA’s Legal and Prosecution Service to exhaust all means to ensure that proper charges would be pursued against the arrested Japanese, he added.

Santiago said they are hopeful the cases would be treated fairly now that they are under new prosecutors.

“I think our motion will have good results,” he said. “It all depends on the prosecutors’ appreciation of facts.”