Ex-PDEA agent accuses Ochoa, Cacdac of protecting drug syndicates

A former agent of Philippine Drug Enforcement Group has accused Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. and the agency's chief Arturo Cacdac of protecting illegal drug syndicates.

In an interview with GMA News’ Chino Gaston, former PDEA agent Jonathan Morales also mentioned the involvement of top ranking officials, but did not give more names.

“Sa PDEA andun halos lahat ng datos ng mga personalities na involved: senador, Cabinet secretary, governor, mayor, barangay, police, NBI, PDEA, andun,” Morales said in an interview aired over GMA News TV’s Balitanghali.

The former PDEA agent said that in July 2013, Ochoa invited him to Malacañang to give a Powerpoint presentation on Chinese drug syndicates which were target of PDEA’s COPLAN Stonehunt.

Morales showed GMA News the invitation letter sent to him by Ochoa’s office.

He said that he told Ochoa during a presentation that there were three groups comprising the Chinese drug syndicate in the country.

These were the Annie Co group has already sold around P70 billion of illegal drugs; the Sally and Nina group, which had P36 billion transactions from 2006 to 2008; and the Mark Tan group which already had hundred of millions worth of illegal drugs transactions.

Morales said the transactions were hid behind garment businesses and casinos.

He said Cacdac did not want to to act against the Tan drug syndicate.

“Sinabihan nila ako na tumigil din. Tumigil dito sa pangigigil dito sa mga target na ito. Bakit? Kung hindi sila protektor nitong mga ito sana 2013 pa lang giba na itong grupong ito,” Morales said.

The former PDEA agent, meanwhile, did not provide evidence directly linking Ochoa and Cacdac to the drug syndicates.

In the Balitanghali report, Cacdac denied Morales' accusations.

He said that PDEA’s recent arrests and operations that yielded millions of pesos worth of illegal drugs are proof enough that he is not protecting any syndicate.

He added Morales actually contradicted his own statements with his allegations, citing a case involving the former agent.

“Nag-issue siya ng affidavit na sinabi niya siya ay inutusan na magtanim ng ebidenisya, mag-produce ng ebidensya sa alleged shabu laboratory, etc. So ngayon nung nag-hearing na yung Chinese na hinuli nila sa San Fernando, Pampanga noong wala pa ako, sinabi niya yung ebidensya itinanim lang samantalang nag-affidavit of arrest siya sinabi niya binuy=bust niya yun,” he said.

Morales was dismissed from the service in 2013 for grave misconduct, dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service when he took back his testimony against Chinese drug personalities. —Amita Legaspi/ALG, GMA News