Lawyer admits Marcelino had no mission order

Published January 25, 2016 3:14pm

Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino was gathering intelligence information on a drug syndicate when arrested by anti-narcotics agents in Manila last week, his lawyer said Monday.

Lawyer Dennis Manalo, who represents Marcelino, made the claim as he admitted that the Marine official did not have a mission order.

Manalo also claimed that the Chinese national arrested with Marcelino, Yan Yi Shou alias Randy, is a documented action agent or an informant of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Marcelino, a former head of the PDEA's Special Enforcement Service, and the Chinese national were arrested last Thursday during a joint raid by the PDEA and the Philippine National Police's Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force at a townhouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila, where at least 64 kilograms of shabu were seized.

Manalo insisted that Marcelino could not fit the character of a drug lord because his own daughters had been a kidnap victim of a drug syndicate and he has no money.

The lawyer declined to provide more details on Marcelino's claims.

Meanwhile, the preliminary investigation of Marcelino's case has been set on Wednesday, January 27, at 2 p.m.

During inquest proceedings on Friday, Marcelino submitted a certification from the Philippine Army Intelligence Service Group, which the military said had already lapsed.

Chief Inspector Mardegui, a part of the police's raiding team, told radio dzBB on Sunday that the certification indicated that Marcelino's mission was to provide information about soldiers hooked on drugs.

In an earlier interview with GMA News, former PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said that Marcelino being a drug lord is out of character.

Santiago had also revealed that the Chinese national arrested with Marcelino was an asset of the PDEA.

'Unquestionable dedication'

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said he believes Marcelino's "reputation will come out strong" during the course of the investigation.

"Let's give him the due process and let's allow this to take its due court before we judge the person," Padilla said.

He added that Marcelino's service reputation is "very credible" and his work ethic and dedication to duty was unquestionable.

Navy spokesperson Col. Edgardo Arevalo, meanwhile, said that the military cannot provide legal assistance to Marcelino.

Arevalo said the Philippine Navy's Standard Operating Procedure Number 2 that says legal assistance is provided only to personnel who are involved in cases in relation with the performance of their duties.

"Pending the determination by proper authorities as to the nature of the case LTC Marcelino is facing, the Navy cannot afford him LAA (Legal Assistance Attorney). In the event that if will later show that he is entitled to LAA, he has to ask for it. Under the Bill of Rights, the right to 'competent and independent counsel' is a matter of choice by the accused," the Navy spokesperson said. —ALG, GMA News

Tags: ferdinandmarcelino, drugs, pdea