MARINE Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, on detail with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, challenged Monday all government officials who are under investigation in connection with the “Alabang Boys” controversy to go on leave as a matter of delicadeza as he himself took a leave of absence following President Gloria Arroyo’s order to have him investigated for the release of a driver of a vehicle in the vicinity of the buy-bust operation in September 2008.
“I believe that this is the right immediate action that any public servant whether civilian or military should conduct himself or herself in such a given situation,” said Marcelino, head of PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service , who exposed the bribery attempts to free Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson, dubbed by media as the “Alabang boys.”
Marcelino also said Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, who admitted Monday that he had affirmed the Dec. 2 resolution written by State Prosecutor John Resado dismissing the complaint against the Alabang Boys, should resign to “bring back the prestige of the justice department.”
The resolution was overturned Friday by Arroyo who ordered criminal charges filed against the three. She also directed the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission to file bribery charges against Resado, who is accused of having been bribed by the “Alabang Boys” to get them off the hook.
She likewise ordered the filing of administrative charges against Senior State Prosecutors Philip Quimpo and Jovencito Zuño for their cursory review of Resado’s resolution and the investigation of Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor for possible violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Arroyo also ordered the investigation of Marcelino, for “taking into himself the job of prosecutor” by releasing Patrick El Khoury, the driver of the vehicle where the buy-bust operation drug deal was consummated.
Marcelino said, “As a matter of principle and delicadeza, I am taking a leave of absence from PDEA as I see it deemed important for the investigation not to be tainted with suspicion of manipulation.”
He said PDEA’s investigation showed Joseph hitched a ride with El Khoury who, he said, was not at all involved in the drug activities of the three.“I cannot in conscience detain and charge someone whom I know to be innocent,” he said.
Arroyo, who issued the orders based on the recommendation of the three-man factfinding committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Carolina Griño-Aquino, also asked PDEA to justify why its agents failed to strictly follow the rules on the marking, inventory and photo-documentation of the seized drugs as required by law.
PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago said the investigation will be conducted by the agency’s Internal Affairs Service.
Marcelino said, “I appreciate the commitment of the agency for truth and the assurance that I will be given due process and a chance to answer the charges.”
“Being a public servant, we come under the scrutiny of the public eyes and consequently, we are accountable for our actions and decisions. The salaries that we draw from public funds out ourselves duty-bound to explain questions raised for our conduct. And we must give back temporarily the power that the people entrusted to us in order to subject ourselves for debate and discussion,” he said.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, advised Resado and other concerned DOJ officials to appeal to Malacañang to review the order.
Alabang Boys lawyer Felisberto Verano, on the other hand, said he will appeal Arroyo’s order to file drug charges against his clients to the Supreme Court.
Marcelino said that while on leave from PDEA, “I want to set my feet back on the grounds of Sulu where my ‘band of brothers’ courageously fights the Abu Sayaff to rescue the International Red Cross volunteers – a battle I really miss together with the Marines.” —Ellen Tordesillas