Cebu solon threatens to remove PDEA from ephedrine inquiry

CEBU CITY — South district Rep. Antonio Cuenco warned that he might exclude the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) from the ongoing investigation into the smuggled P3.6-billion shipment of ephedrine, a chemical used in manufacturing shabu, if it fails to meet the deadline by the end of the month.

Instead, Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, said he would ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take over the investigation.

Cuenco has given the PDEA until April 30 to complete the investigation and file the appropriate charges against those involved in the shipment.

He said he was very disappointed with the PDEA for failing to present new evidence during a command conference last Tuesday.

He said what the agency presented during the meeting were data coming from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Based on the documents presented last Tuesday, Cuenco said a case of smuggling could already be filed against Joebert Cuesta and Maria Rowena Roldan, employees of the office of Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña.

Cuesta and Roldan are allegedly officials of Coastside Ventures Inc., consignee of the 1,500 kilos of ephedrine seized at the Cebu International Port.

Being officials of Coastside Ventures, the two are liable for the illegal importation of shabu precursors, Cuenco said.

However, the PDEA said it is still hesitant to file charges, saying it does not have enough evidence against the two.

For his part, Gov. Pablo Garcia urged the PDEA to subpoena Osmeña, Cuesta and Roldan for questioning, saying it is improbable for Osmeña not to know the activities of his personnel.

Garcia even offered the social hall of the provincial capitol building as a venue for a PDEA inquiry.

Meanwhile, the NBI, which Cuenco ordered to file the case against Cuesta and Roldan, said there is still no legal basis to indict the two.

NBI regional director Reynaldo Esmeralda said that while documents of the Securities and Exchange Commission showed them to be officers of Coastside Ventures, it is still hard to substantiate this since they do not own stocks of the company. — Freeman News Service