By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

At the House Quad-Committee’s final hearing of the year on Thursday, the lawmakers concluded that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs allegedly served as cover for a “grand criminal enterprise” involving high-ranking government officials, systemic corruption, and international drug trafficking networks.

This conclusion was presented by Quad-Comm senior vice-chair and Antipolo 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop after compiling a summary of evidence and testimonies from 13 public hearings conducted since August.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Quad-Comm has started to uncover a grand criminal enterprise, and it would seem that at the center of it is former President Duterte… napakasakit po nito dahil pawang tayo ay nabudol,” Acop said.

“It is most unfortunate, however, that the sword was used to slit, stab, and slash the very people it swore to protect—we the people—and the purse was used not to benefit the Republic, but to line the pockets of the few. Nilunod nila ang bayan natin ng droga, at kumita dahil dito,” the Antipolo lawmaker lamented about the previous administration’s use of both the “Purse and the Sword” of the Republic for personal and political gain instead of serving the people.

The House leader also cited the testimony of former police intelligence officer Col. Eduardo Acierto, who categorically named former President Duterte and Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as “integral personalities in protecting the illegal drugs network in the Philippines.”

Acop opened his presentation by recounting two major drug smuggling cases from 2017 and 2018, which he called the “Tale of Two Shipments.” These involved P6.4 billion and P3.4 billion worth of shabu, smuggled through the Manila International Container Port.

Testimonies from key witnesses—businessman Mark Taguba and former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban—detailed how Duterte’s son, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte; the president’s son-in-law and husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, Manases “Mans” Carpio; and the president’s former economic adviser Michael Yang allegedly orchestrated these shipments.

Taguba and Guban testified that shipments bypassed inspections through the ‘tara’ system—a deeply entrenched bribery scheme within the Bureau of Customs (BoC) where millions of pesos in grease money facilitated the unimpeded entry of drugs.

“Paano po ito nakakalusot? It’s a crack in our system—a crack in the Bureau of Customs,” said Acop. “The tara system—grease money—allowed shipments of dangerous drugs to pass through without X-rays or inspections,” Acop declared.

Drug enterprise matrix brought into focus

Meanwhile, Michael Yang, a close associate of the former President, emerged as a central figure in the Quad-Comm’s investigation, whose operations reportedly ranged from facilitating drug importation to overseeing distribution and money laundering.

Acierto earlier presented detailed reports linking Yang to an organized drug trafficking network alongside his business partners Allan Lim (also known as Lin Weixiong) and Johnson Co.

The former police intel officer’s matrix depicted an “end-to-end” drug enterprise involving precursor shipments, manufacturing, and distribution across the Philippines.

Testimonies also revealed Yang’s connection to the 2004 Dumoy laboratory raid in Davao City, where over 100 kilos of high-grade shabu worth P300 million—the largest drug bust of its time—were uncovered.

“The reports relayed to us by Col. Acierto only support the participation of several high-ranking officials, including Senator Bato Dela Rosa, Director General Aaron Aquino, Bong Go, Wilkins Villanueva… Umabot po sa matataas na opisyal na ito ang report ni Col. Acierto. Inuulit ko, walang nangyari,” Acop emphasized.

Acop condemned this perverse reward system, which he said systematically targeted laboratories and chemists, effectively paving the way for imported drugs to dominate the Philippine market.

FPRRD’S possible involvement in drug enterprise also under scrutiny by lawmakers

In another development, the Quad-Comm’s assertion that Duterte himself may have been at the center of the drug enterprise was cited as one of the most explosive revelations unearthed by the mega-panel.

In his affidavit submitted to the International Criminal Court, former police officer Arturo Lascañas described Duterte as the “Lord of All Drug Lords,” accusing him of using his anti-drug campaign as a tool to eliminate competition while protecting key players in the drug trade.

Lascañas, a self-confessed hitman and former member of the Davao Death Squad, testified that Duterte directly ordered killings of drug chemists and workers involved in the Dumoy laboratory. 

His affidavit alleged that Duterte paid as much as P500,000 to eliminate these individuals, raising questions about whether these killings were about eradicating drugs, or eliminating competitors.

Acop underscored the recurring names tied to drug-related corruption: Yang, Lim, Johnson Co, and other associates repeatedly surfaced in different narratives. 

From the Dumoy laboratory raid to the Empire 999 Realty warehouse in Pampanga, where P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized in 2023, the same figures appeared at the center of these operations.

“Madami at paulit-ulit na ang lumilitaw na koneksyon ni Michael Yang sa business ng droga. Pero sa gitna ng isang state policy called the ‘war on drugs,’ wala pa ring nakakagalaw laban sa kanya,” the Antipolo lawmaker concluded.

He said the Quad-Comm will continue its investigation in 2025, aiming to close systemic loopholes and ensure justice for the victims of the drug war. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)

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