Whistleblowers Brodett, PDEA exec snub NBI

MANILA, Philippines - Two key figures in the "Alabang Boys" case – whistleblowers Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino and Dave Brodett – failed to face the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday despite being issued subpoenas. The NBI subpoenaed Marcelino last Tuesday, but the officer said he would be unable to show up because he would be leading an anti-narcotics operation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), according to Arnel Dalumpines, chief of the NBI Special Task Force. Marcelino is the head of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service, which conducted buy-bust operations in September 2008 that led to the arrest of the controversial "Alabang Boys" – Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson, and Jorge Jordana Joseph. When the NBI tried again to invite Marcelino to appear on Friday, the PDEA official reportedly said: "I have a lot of commitments." "When asked when he will be free, he said he's not sure," Dalumpines said. "How can we establish that there was indeed a bribery when they don't speak up? Who will we prosecute?" Earlier, the NBI also sent subpoenas to Dave Brodett and his family, but they refused to accept the invitation. Brodett and his son, Anthony admitted at Wednesday’s House hearing on the "Alabang Boys" mess that Richard and his mother Myra used and peddled illegal drugs. Dave Brodett is the uncle and Anthony is the cousin of the suspect. With Marcelino’s failure to face NBI agents, Dalumpines said he was seriously considering sending his men to the PDEA office to get the Marine officer's statement. "I might send agents to get his statement if he's really that busy," Dalumpines said. "I appeal to Major Marcelino, if he's really sincere to go after the people who, he claimed, offered him bribes, and if he is really sincere in his campaign to stop the irregularities in the government, then he should cooperate with us." Only chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño – another government official invited in the drug case mess – appeared at the NBI to deny bribery accusations on "Alabang Boys" case. Zuño went into a closed-door meeting with NBI Director Nestor Mantaring at about 4 p.m. to clarify that the Department of Justice’s Task Force on Illegal Drugs, which Zuño chairs, did not receive P50 million in exchange for the dismissal of the drug case. The chief state prosecutor earlier urged the PDEA to refrain from triggering a psychological war – allegedly through the bribery accusation – just to discredit the prosecutors who handled the "Alabang Boys" case. Felisberto Verano Jr., counsel for two of the three “Alabang Boys," already submitted his affidavit to the NBI, in which he admitted making the controversial draft release order for his clients. He sent the draft order to Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor’s secretary and instructed her to forward it to the office of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez for the latter’s signature. After being invited by the NBI, Blancaflor expressed his intention to appear on Monday next week. A print journalist has also been invited by NBI agents. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV