Ex-Customs official Guban links deputy commissioner to 2018 drug shipment

Former Customs official Jimmy Guban on Monday linked a deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to a drug shipment that was smuggled into the country in magnetic lifters in 2018.

During the hearing of the House Quad Committee (QuadComm), Guban said he was previously designated as the officer-in-charge at the Port of Manila and was ordered to monitor drug shipments in Manila.

He claimed that he identified the individuals involved in the shipment in 2018.

“Wala namang nawala. Nahuli lahat ng droga. May umamin na merong may-ari sa Senate investigation. Na-promote ang district collector... until now maybe deputy commissioner pa rin, at ako po ang kinulong,” Guban said. 

(Nothing was lost. All the drugs were seized. Someone even admitted ownership during the Senate investigation. The district collector... was promoted, maybe still the deputy commissioner until now, while I was the one who got imprisoned.)

Following this, Manila Representative Benny Abante questioned Guban if the former district collector knew about the incident.  

Guban answered in the affirmative. 

“[He was involved] in the administrative matters because he is the district collector of the MCIP. Therefore alam po niya kung ano at anong meron sa loob ng port niya,” Guban said.

(He was involved in the administrative matters because he is the district collector of the MCIP. Therefore, he knows what is inside his port and what’s going on there.)

Guban said he was accused by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

When asked, the representative of PDEA said he stood by the filing of the case.

For their part, BOC Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy said he will look into Guban's claim.

“I will find out what I just heard… and I will find out the status of these personnel,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to Guban, several individuals have admitted to owning the shipment during a previous Senate inquiry. However, he said these people have gone missing.

“After na mag-testify sila na umamin na sila ang may-ari ng consignee, ng importation, tinuro nila ang certain Chinese,” Guban said.

(After they testified and admitted that they were the owners of the consignee and the importation, they pointed to certain Chinese individuals.)

“There was no testimony against me. In fact, there was never—wala pong admission kahit konti na kasama po kami doon. Kaming tatlo ni Colonel Acierto, Colonel Fajardo. Kami ay sa government side, kami ang nagtrabaho,” he added.  

The PDEA representative said the missing individuals have a standing warrant of arrest but they remain at large.

For his part, Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Adiong expressed alarm, saying the case should be monitored. 

“Dahil yung umamin ng pagmama-may ari ng shabu shipment na ito ay biglang nawala at hindi na nahuli. Samantalang ‘yung nag trabaho para makuha itong tonelada nitong shabu na ito ay sila ang nakakulong. If you ask me, it’s a simple example of miscarriage of justice,” Adiong said.

(Because the person who admitted ownership of the shabu shipment suddenly disappeared and was never apprehended. Meanwhile, those who worked to seize these tons of shabu are the ones imprisoned. If you ask me, it’s a simple example of miscarriage of justice.) — BM, GMA Integrated News