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Mangaoang, Mon Tulfo trade accusations of drug links


Newly appointed Special Envoy to China Mon Tulfo and Customs Deputy Collector Lourdes Mangaoang traded accusations of being in cahoots with drug lords amid the P11-billion shabu smuggling controversy.

Tulfo, in a series of Facebook posts this week, accused Mangaoang of having close ties with a former police official linked to the illegal drug trade. He said Mangaoang is facilitating the entry of illegal drugs supposedly smuggled into the country by the retired police official's friends.

Tulfo said the former police official is also a mayor in Cebu and is included in President Rodrigo Duterte's "narco-politicians."

"Ang nasabing mayor ay dating general ng Philippine National Police. Si Mangaoang diumano ang nagpapalusot ng shabu shipment noong siya'y chief pa ng x-ray unit ng Bureau of Customs," Tulfo said in one of his Facebook posts.

While Tulfo did not identify the police official, Duterte has tagged retired police general and Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot as one of the local officials involved in the illegal drug trade.

Loot has repeatedly denied the allegation.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Friday, Mangaoang denied Tulfo's accusation, saying he has an axe to grind against her because she sued Lee Peng Wee before the Zamboanga City  Regional Trial Court Branch 12 for alleged drug smuggling.

Mangaoang claimed Tulfo said Lee is his "benefactor" who bought him a condominium unit and spent for the education of his children.

"Galit na galit sa akin 'yan si Mon Tulfo, mahilig mag-fabricate ng storya, kasi bago ako mag-file ng kaso kay Lee Peng Wee, tumatawag 'yan [Tulfo] sa akin. [Ang sabi] 'wag ko raw kasuhan itong Lee Peng Wee kasi benefactor niya," she said.

Lee Peng Wee was convicted for smuggling in February 2010.

Mangaoang also denied that she had a romantic relationship with Loot. "Hindi ako ang nali-link kay Loot. Hindi ako 'yun," she said.

"Kahit anong gawin nila, wala ho silang mahahanap kasi kahit saan hong social getahering ay hindi kami nagkakasabay [ni Loot]," Mangaoang added.

Tulfo, on the other hand, admitted that he personally knows Lee but denied calling Mangaoang to ask her to withdraw the case.

"Wala akong natatandaan na tumawag sa kanya (Mangaoang). Kaibigan ko si Lee Peng Wee pero hindi ako nagtangkang tumawag sa kanya dahil puro kasinungalingan yung mga pinaratang niya kay Lee Peng Wee," he said in a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"Sinasabi niya na binigyan ako ng condominium unit ni Lee Peng, sasakyan, papaaral... bakit, hindi ko mapapaaral mga anak ko? Makabili ako ng condo eh puwede naman ako bumili ng condominium sarili ko," he also said.

Prior to Tulfo's Facebook post, Mangaoang accused Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña of hiding x-ray scans that she said would prove that the four empty magnetic lifters seized in Cavite last August 8 contained billions of pesos worth of shabu and that Lapeña has chosen to turn a blind eye on this. —KBK, GMA News

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