‘PDEA must define tasks of probe teams’

CEBU — The regional chief of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said there is a need for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to determine the functions of each police agency involved in the investigation into the controversial P3.6-billion ephedrine shipment seized here recently.

NBI-Region 7 chief Reynaldo Esmeralda was reacting to an earlier statement by PDEA-Central Visayas director Gaudencio Pagaling Jr. that the NBI should continue its investigation and submit its findings to the PDEA.

Esmeralda said the NBI should no longer conduct any investigation considering that the PDEA is now the lead agency probing the case.

The bureau turned over the case to the PDEA last week, as agreed by members of the task force looking into the issue.

"Let us make a specification of the particular function of each agency. We are not obliged to submit a report to them. We should no longer investigate on our own," Esmeralda said.

Esmeralda fears that if the NBI proceeds with its investigation, the public might blame the bureau if the probe fails, especially now that south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco reportedly intends to conduct a congressional inquiry into the controversy after the May 10 elections.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman is now gathering documents to start its inquiry into the possible links of government employees to the controversial ephedrine shipment, which has dragged three employees of Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña.

The other week, Ombudsman director Virginia Palanca-Santiago ordered a fact-finding inquiry based on media reports.

Santiago said her office will conduct a thorough investigation that will cover all angles of the issue.

Three employees of the vice governor’s office have been linked to the 1,800-kilo ephedrine shipment, including Osmeña’s personal aide, Joebert Lañas Cuesta, whose name appeared as president and chief executive officer of Coastside Ventures Inc., the shipment’s consignee.

Also linked to the controversy was a certain Rorela Villegas, a member of Osmeña’s legislative staff who allegedly signed with J. King and Sons Co. a lease contract for a warehouse on Hernan Cortes street in Mandaue City where steel barrels containing the ephedrine were found and seized.

Meanwhile, the name of Maria Rowena Roldan, Osmeña’s confidential assistant, appeared in the information sheet that Coastside Ventures submitted to the regional office of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Last week, Esmeralda suggested to the PDEA the inclusion of Osmeña in its investigation, considering that three of his staffers have been linked to the shipment.

Osmeña earlier denied his or any of his staff’s involvement in the controversial shipment but admitted that the issue has badly affected his gubernatorial bid. — Freeman News Service