De Lima says ex-PDEA agent being forced to make up stories against her

Senator Leila De Lima on Thursday said that former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino is now being pressured to make up stories that would further link her to illegal drugs.

Marcelino, who was arrested in January in a drug raid, was cleared by the Department of Justice of drug charges in May.

However, the DOJ, upon review of Marcelino's case, reinstated the charges filed against him and proceeded to file the case before the Manila Regional Trial Court on Tuesday.

De Lima said she received two text messages forwarded by a common friend from Marcelino, dated July 19 and September 5.

The colonel was quoted as saying that he was being convinced by some groups to make "fabricated stories" about the senator and that he had advance information about the DOJ reopening his case.

Marcelino, however, said that he would not give in to the pressure to speak against De Lima.

"I'm not passing judgment on the correctness of the legal action. Ano ba ang totoo dyan, alin ba ang tama dyan? Idismiss ba or filan ng kaso? But look at the circumstances," De Lima said.

"I have no reason to doubt what was forwarded to me from Colonel Marcelino na iniipit siya para ituro whatever it is na itututuro nila sa akin," she added.

The Department of Justice on Thursday refuted the claim of Senator Leila De Lima that the government was reviving a drug case against Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino to pressure him to testify on her alleged drug links. 

Sought for comment, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II denied De Lima's allegation.

"Not true," Aguirre said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Marcelino was arrested on January 21 during a raid in a shabu laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

He claimed he was performing surveillance work when arrested, along with Chinese national Yan Yi Shou, alias Randy, for possession of 76.7 kilograms of shabu and 490 milliliters of liquid shabu.

According to Aguirre, the National Prosecution Service only reviewed the complaints based on merits and not on any other considerations.

"The resolution reversing the original resolution did not pass my office," the Cabinet official said.

The resolution was prepared by Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez and approved by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, who heads the NPS' Anti-Organized Crimes Division. —Virgil Lopez/NB, GMA News