Suspect in P30-M drug bust is Phl shooter’s nephew

MANILA, Philippines - One of the suspects arrested in a P30-million drug bust in Quezon City on Saturday is a nephew of multi-awarded shooter Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said yesterday.

QCPD director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano told The STAR that Harold Wilford Padilla, 34, is a son of a brother of Tac, who represented the Philippines in various international shooting competitions and is reported to be one of President Aquino’s shooting coaches.

Harold is currently detained at the QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal. Albano said they are verifying if the suspect has been previously arrested in connection with other crimes.

In a press conference on Monday, Albano said the Quezon City prosecutor’s office recommended the filing of charges against Harold and his co-accused Arnel Ignacio, 49, for violating Section 5 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

A separate case of illegal possession of firearms was also filed against Harold as the police recovered a .40 caliber Glock pistol from him at the time of his arrest.

Inquest prosecutor Alexandro Jurado recommended no bail for the suspects.

Harold and Ignacio were arrested at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a joint operation conducted by the Quezon City District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group (DAID-SOTG), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force.

DAID-SOTG chief Senior Inspector Roberto Razon said Harold was arrested after their team managed to arrange a meeting with the suspect. A kilo of shabu was confiscated from the suspect while he was in a Nissan Terrano (CMV-593) parked along Banawe street.

Another four kilos had been seized from Ignacio, who was in a Mazda Familia (UTN-234) parked near where Harold was apprehended.

QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao earlier said Harold was selling shabu at a lower price of P3 million per kilo. 

Police said the confiscated shabu was high-grade and has an approximate street value of P6 million per kilo.

Shooting champ’s murder

The STAR earlier reported Harold’s alleged involvement in the killing of Philippine shooting team member Michael Lontoc in 2011.

Lontoc was killed in an ambush in Malabon City on Sept. 25, 2011. A suspect, identified as Jimmy Pianiar, reportedly claimed that it was Harold who hired their group to kill Lontoc.

Pianiar added that Harold paid his group with 10 handguns, 38 hand grenades and a Bushmaster rifle for the hit.

But in a STAR report published in April, Harold denied involvement in the killing of his supposed business partner. He blamed politics and revenge as possible reasons for the alleged efforts to tarnish his name.

Harold described Pianiar in the article as a “liar, who might be coached by somebody to link (me) to the case.”

“I don’t know him. And our records showed that he has never been an employee of our company,” Harold said in the report. His family owns a Malabon-based firm that manufactures Spring cooking oil.

Harold also claimed that Lontoc’s widow, Lenny, also dismissed the recent developments in the investigation of Lontoc’s murder.

In 2011, Tac also maintained that his nephew is not involved in Lontoc’s killing.

“He may got himself into trouble in the past. But this time he’s going straight and working his butt out to support his family. He has no stomach for getting involved in this type of case,” he was quoted as saying in a report.

“In fact, it was Harold who was among those first to arrive in the ambush site. Somebody called him up because they knew that he and Lontoc are close to each other,” he added.