Man convicted of drug offenses arrested after 18 years in hiding

A man convicted for illegal drugs who escaped during his trial and while detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), and who has been hiding for the last 18 years was arrested by the the National Bureau of Investigation-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (NBI-TFAID).

In a statement on Tuesday, the NBI said Frank Chua was arrested on July 28 in Sampaloc, Manila.

“Frank Chua admitted that he was the same person arrested for drug offense several times,” the NBI said.

According to the Bureau, Chua and several others were arrested on August 10, 1989, for importing 58 kilograms of shabu in Ilocos Sur.

However, Chua and other accused managed to escape from the Vigan Provincial Jail on March 22, 1990 while their trial was ongoing.

“Trial in absentia ensued and on October 7, 1994, the court found Chua and all other accused guilty of the charge against them and sentenced them to suffer the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua,” the NBI said.

Chua hid in several places in the country but settled inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in 1997.

He was able to put-up the Ding Ho Restaurant and Zone Swan International Inc. as front companies in alleged drug trafficking activities.

On July 4, 2003, Chua was rearrested by operatives of NBI-TFAID at the Ding Ho Restaurant and was committed to the NBP.

Operatives of NBI-TFAID then went to the NBP to get information from Chua about his illegal drug trade.

However, they failed to see him as NBP officials allegedly claimed that Chua  “did not want to talk to anyone, even to his own lawyer.”

“This led to suspicion that Frank Chua may no longer be inside the NBP and the action of some NBP officials was just a cover-up to hide the true whereabouts of Frank Chua,” the NBI said.

“Unknown to the NBI and other law enforcement authorities, Frank Chua, while serving his time at the NBP, was confined at the Metropolitan Hospital in Binondo, Manila but escaped therefrom on February 28, 2004,” it added.

“No Alert Notice or Request for Manhunt of the escaped convict FRANK CHUA was sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Immigration (BI), NBI, and other law enforcement authorities,” the agency said. — DVM, GMA News