4 PDEA agents relieved

Four agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Luzon were relieved from their posts yesterday to prevent a whitewash in the investigation into the death of an alleged Chinese drug lord under their custody.

PDEA director Anselmo Avenido said he decided to relieve SPO1 Buenaventura Lopez and PO2s Peter Sistemion, Antonio Barreras and Dennis To—lentino, to remove any doubts of cover-up in the probe.

"So that there will be no doubt, we have to relieve them from their posts. They are placed under the custody of the regional director to make them available for investigation," Avenido said.

All four agents were assigned to the PDEA’s Central Office at Camp Olivas in Pampanga.

They are being investigated for the death of Han Ying Yang, alias Hanson Young, who was arrested in Meycauayan, Bulacan last March 6.

The PDEA regional office, headed by Superintendent Sonny Yanga David, earlier reported that Han killed himself inside the comfort room by slashing his neck with a shard of glass from the window jalousie.

But local police probers doubted the claim based on their autopsy of Han’s body.

Avenido earlier coordinated with Chief Superintendent Oscar Calderon, Central Luzon police director, to allow the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to conduct the investigation to ensure impartiality.