Marcelino moved to Bagong Diwa jail

MANILA, Philippines – Former anti-drug enforcement official Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino and alleged Chinese drug dealer Yi Shou Yan, who were arrested during a raid on a shabu laboratory in Manila, were transferred yesterday to the Quezon City Jail annex in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

The two men were initially detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City following their arrest.

Senior Inspector Xavier Solda, spokesman of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, said aside from a few clothes, Marcelino and Yi will not be allowed to bring with them any other item into the small detention cell they will be sharing with an accused in the Maguindanao massacre. He added that the suspect is not a member of the Ampatuan clan.

“The detention room is bare except for three beds,” said Solda.

AMLC probe

Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) will investigate the bank deposit slips showing a total of P2.5 million had been deposited in Marcelino’s account.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Gardiola Jr., head of the police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG), turned over to lawyer Julia Bacay-Abad, AMLC secretariat executive director, the 13 bank deposit slips found in Marcelino’s  bag when he was arrested last week.

A police official told The STAR that the AMLC would conduct an investigation on all of Marcelino’s bank transactions to determine the source of his deposits.

The two mobile phones confiscated from Marcelino were also turned over to the custody of the crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police for examination.

“We wanted to know the persons he made contact with and we are hoping to find some incriminating evidence,” said the police official, noting the crime laboratory examination would be available as soon as possible.

The AIDG returned on Wednesday Marcelino’s wallet, identification cards and the P86,000 confiscated from him at the time of his arrest.

AIDG spokesman Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia added they have requested a complete financial investigation on Marcelino to determine if he is involved in money-laundering.  – With Non Alquitran, Helen Flores