Poe wants drug suspects wiretapped after Lipa raid

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, vowed yesterday to help law enforcement agencies by enacting a law that will allow the wiretapping of suspects involved in illegal drug trade.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima  and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Arturo Cacdac sought the senator’s help yesterday in empowering them to legalize wiretapping in view of their intensified drug operations.

The Senate passed a bill allowing the wiretapping of drug suspects in the last Congress during the watch of Sen. Gregorio Honasan as chairperson of the Senate committee on public order. It was not approved into law because a counterpart measure was not passed at the House of Representatives.

Cacdac and Purisima also gave the senator an overview of the operations of the Mexican Sinoloa drug cartel, linked to three suspects arrested at the LPL ranch in Batangas. At least P420 million worth of shabu was seized at the ranch.

 The two top officials argued that enforcers can better monitor drug activities if they can eavesdrop on the operations of suspected drug lords and masterminds, a practice that has been legalized in the United States.

No evidence?

On the Department of Justice (DOJ) move to summon Batangas Vice Gov. Antonio Mark Leviste, Cacdac said PDEA had filed charges against three suspects linked to the Sinoloa drug cartel.

Police had reportedly traced the ownership of the ranch to him. The property was being leased to the alleged head of the syndicate, Jorge Torres.

Last Thursday, Leviste’s lawyer, Cristina Buendia, submitted to the DOJ documents showing that the ranch is owned by his relatives and being run by his brother Conrad as corporate treasurer.

Poe noted that the members of the Mexican drug cartel had started to establish links abroad. She wanted to know why Torres chose the LPL ranch in particular.

Purisima was quick to point out the investigators have no evidence to link the vice governor to the Mexican drug cartel.