THE CASE OF THE 6.4-BILLION SHABU

Jose Alejandrino

Weeks after the May 9 elections I made many predictions how the LP would destabilize Duterte. All materialized. All you have to do is examine my postings. Among my predictions, I said the LP, druglords, some big business interests, would at some point join together against Duterte whom they saw as a threat.

Today, we have the case of the 604 kilos of shabu smuggled from China worth 6.4-billion pesos. From my Intel, this shipment did not pass through Davao, as alleged at the Senate hearing, but was shipped directly to Manila. Chinese Intel tipped off BOC about the shipment which I understand ended up in a warehouse in Valenzuela City, Bulacan. I had received many complaints from people in Valenzuela about the proliferation of drugs there and I wrote about it on my timeline. Lately, the PNP raided Bulacan.

Mark Taguba, a fixer, told the Senate hearing he had paid Davao City Councilor Nilo Abellera 5-million pesos as an "enrollment fee" with a commitment to pay one million a week more for all shipments through Davao. Taguba claims Abellera is the connection to the Davao Group which has links to Vice-Mayor Paolo Duterte, son of President Duterte. He also claims Paolo received payments to let the 604 kilos of shabu transit through Davao.

My first question is: how could the shabu transit through Davao if it was shipped directly to Manila? My next question is: if the shabu did not transit to Davao, what was the need to pay Abellera and Paolo?

If Paolo was framed, the next question is why?

Here is my take. The Customs syndicates in Manila were not happy with Nick Faeldon. So they had to take him out. The LP, with its hatchetman Antonio Trillanes, wanted to find a way to bring down Duterte. The druglords of Chinese Triad, too, have a reason to get rid of Duterte because his police raids on their distribution network was hurting their business. So why not come together and put up an operation to knock three birds with one stone?

Paolo would be blamed for a transshipment which never happened, using Nilo Abellera, and accused of a kickback for allowing the transshipment. President Duterte would be implicated because Paolo is his son. BOC Commissioner Nick Faeldon would be blamed for the entry of the shabu. A ruckus would be created in the press. A Senate hearing would follow and demands would ensue for Faeldon to step down.

Taguba was quoted as saying it was Trillanes who gave him the full name of Capuyan, PMA Class '83, as the member of the Davao Group whom Paolo Duterte allegedly is connected with. Antonio Trillanes? Interesting. This fellow seems to be everywhere.