Duterte brings up extortion allegations against Acierto

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday brought up the extortion allegations against dismissed police official Eduardo Acierto who earned the chief executive’s ire for linking former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang to the illegal drug trade.

Citing an intelligence report, which he made public in October last year, Duterte said Acierto was known for extorting money from  Chinese drug suspects.

Specifically, the report said Acierto earned the reputation of “amassing wealth by recycling the drugs that they have confiscated and even earning substantial amount of money through extortion from apprehended suspects especially Chinese nationals.”

Duterte said Acierto seemed to be planning to do the same thing to Yang.

“Tapos ito ‘yung ginaplanohan nila na i-setup na naman. Meron daw siyang intel. Why would I listen to your intelligence report, ikaw t****** kang pulis, si Acierto? Ka-g*** mo. ‘Di bale wala ka naman,” the President said in a speech at the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Koronadal City, South Cotabato.

“Bakit ibigay mo sa akin? ‘Di kung may ano ka sindikato diyan nahuli mo --- ah nakita mo --- oh ‘di hulihin mo na.”

Acierto earlier claimed that Duterte and former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa ignored the supposed intelligence information about the involvement of Yang and another Chinese national Allan Lim in the narcotics business.

Duterte however said he has known Yang as a plain businessman for two decades now. He indicated that the Chinese businessman’s integrity was well-vouched by ranking Chinese officials.

“Kilala ko ‘yung Chinese eh. That Chinese guy, Yang, is always in the company of the Ambassador of China and every time [the] Premier of China comes, he is always a part of the entourage. Papayag kaya ang Chinese with their setup dito sa… itong salita ko lang nire-record na ng satellite nila,” he said.

Acierto was dismissed from the service due to his alleged involvement in the anomalous purchase of 1,004 AK-47 rifles which later on were found in the possession of the New People's Army.

He was the officer-in-charge of the defunct PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group when its operatives killed South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo inside Camp Crame, Quezon City, in October 2016.

Acierto was not charged for command responsibility after the PNP-AIDG was dissolved by Duterte following Jee's death.

Duterte on Tuesday tagged Acierto in Jee’s abduction and murder. —KBK, GMA News