Duterte son linked to shabu shipment

(UPDATES) BACOLOR, Pampanga — A former customs intelligence officer on Friday linked the son and son-in-law of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his former economic adviser to the case involving the smuggling of an estimated P11 billion worth of shabu into the country in 2018.

Testifying at the House hearing held at the Villa de Bacolor Convention Center, Jimmy Guban named Duterte's eldest son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, and Michael Yang as the owner of the container with magnetic lifters where part of the shipment was found.

Guban, who has been indicted in connection with the shabu shipment, was temporarily released from detention to testify at the joint hearing of the «quadcom,» made up of the House Committees of Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts.

MORE HEADS BETTER THAN ONE The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga, on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez, and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTO BY ISMAEL DE JUAN

He also accused former Environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda of facilitating the release of the shipment from the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

Guban said a fellow Customs employee informed him that Antiporda had close connections to Duterte, Carpio and Yang, and a person connected with the National Press Club (NPC).

He said he was ordered by Davao City Councilor Nilo Abellera to expedite the entry of shabu shipments that belong to «Michael Yang, Pulong Duterte and Mans.»

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«Between the months of May and June 2018, Col. [Eduardo] Acierto shared with me an additional intelligence report of illegal drugs at the Bureau of Customs… In the backtracking of documents, we were able to find out that the cargoes, one of which is the Vecaba Trading shipment,» Guban said.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement