(UPDATES) BACOLOR, Pampanga — A former customs intelligence officer on Friday linked the son and son-in-law of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his former economic adviser to the case involving the smuggling of an estimated P11 billion worth of shabu into the country in 2018.
Testifying at the House hearing held at the Villa de Bacolor Convention Center, Jimmy Guban named Duterte's eldest son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, and Michael Yang as the owner of the container with magnetic lifters where part of the shipment was found.
Guban, who has been indicted in connection with the shabu shipment, was temporarily released from detention to testify at the joint hearing of the "quadcom," made up of the House Committees of Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts.
He also accused former Environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda of facilitating the release of the shipment from the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
Guban said a fellow Customs employee informed him that Antiporda had close connections to Duterte, Carpio and Yang, and a person connected with the National Press Club (NPC).
He said he was ordered by Davao City Councilor Nilo Abellera to expedite the entry of shabu shipments that belong to "Michael Yang, Pulong Duterte and Mans."
"Between the months of May and June 2018, Col. [Eduardo] Acierto shared with me an additional intelligence report of illegal drugs at the Bureau of Customs.... In the backtracking of documents, we were able to find out that the cargoes, one of which is the Vecaba Trading shipment," Guban said.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had been tipped off that Vecaba Trading was the consignee of a shipment that contained P4.3 billion worth of shabu.
"It was found out that the Vecaba Trading was not an accredited importer or consignee of the Bureau of Customs," Guban said in his statement he read during the hearing.
While he was detained at the Senate, a person named Paul Gutierrez, who was introduced to him "as a staff of Benny Antiporda, accompanied by Blue Ribbon Committee staff, approached my room where I was detained and threatened me," Guban said.
Gutierrez is a former president of the NPC and is the executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS).
Guban said Gutierrez warned him that he and his family would be in danger if he implicated Duterte, Carpio or Yang.
During an executive session of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Oct. 30, 2018, Guban said in his statement that he did not name any of the three personalities "for fear that my son will be killed, and my family will be in danger."
Instead, "I pointed to Col. (Eduardo) Acierto as the one consigned with the shipment," he said.
Guban recanted his statement to the Senate through a judicial affidavit in October 2023, after he was convicted of drug trafficking charges.
Guban was ordered placed under House custody pending a court order that would transfer him from the New Bilibid Prison.
He will also be included in the government's Witness Protection Program.
In a statement Friday, Paolo Duterte vehemently denied knowing Guban or threatening him.
Duterte said the word "star witness" must be a person who speaks the truth and with credibility.
He said Guban is not that kind of person since he had been cited in contempt by the Blue Ribbon Committee for being a liar.
"It's clear that he has no credibility and what he is claiming has no basis even before, so I don't know why he became a star witness," Duterte said in Filipino.
In his own statement, Antiporda said Guban's allegations were "lies of great magnitude, as magnified by the fact that it lacks any evidentiary support but his self-serving allegations."
"For one, I do not know him, as he himself admitted that he does not know me. For another, while I know Michael Yang, Mans Carpio and Polong by their names, I do not personally know any of them, have not met them, much less talked to any of them personally or electronically at any occasions," he said.
Gutierrez also denied Guban's claim, calling him an "inveterate liar."
"His statements against me are all falsehoods and clearly fed to him by someone else," he said.
"I don't personally know nor have I ever met — even up to now — any of the Dutertes, Atty. Mans Carpio or Michael Yang; I also never had any personal or professional dealings with Mr. Guban while I was covering the Customs beat, although the things I've been hearing about him at the waterfront are all unsavory," he said.
Gutierrez also dismissed Guban's claim that Yang is a "member" of the NPC.
"We have never met Mr. Yang, nor has Mr. Yang ever set foot at the NPC," he said.
Gutierrez denied being an "assistant" of Antiporda, but said he was "a reporter and columnist for my newspaper, People's Tonight, covering the Customs and Senate beat" at the time that he confronted Guban at the detention center of the Senate.
"As a lowly reporter, I am not in any position to make any threats to him, and according to him, in front of a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee staff. As a matter of rule, visits to any Senate detainee had to be approved by the chair and the result reported to him," he added.
Gutierrez said that while he did visit Guban "once right after the Senate ordered him detained, it was to check on his health condition as many at the time believed that he was just feigning ill health to avoid further questioning."
"I also want to confirm from him if a former National Press Club officer is his "PR," as this former officer is seen attending the Senate hearings although he no longer represents any newspaper. He did not answer me," Gutierrez said.
"How can I threaten him on behalf of people that I don't know and who also do not know me? Also, if indeed, I did that, would this not be reported to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, leading to my being banned from further covering the Senate?" he added.
Several key personalities, including a former executive assistant of former presidential spokesman Herminio "Harry" Roque, were issued show-cause orders on Friday for not attending the quadcom hearings. The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN The House of Representatives brings its hearing on dangerous drugs and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to Bacolor, Pampanga on Aug. 16, 2024. The Committees on Public Accounts headed by Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Dangerous Drugs led by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, Public Order and Safety led by Rep. Dan Fernandez and Human Rights headed by Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. conducted the hearing. PHOTOS BY ISMAEL DE JUAN
Public Accounts Committee chairman Joseph Stephen Paduano moved for the issuance of the show-cause orders against Alberto Rodulfo dela Serna, the former "executive assistant" of Roque, since his name cropped up in the government's crackdown on POGO hubs that were operated by Chinese high rollers.
Roque said he was not able to attend the hearing in Bacolor because he had a scheduled appearance at the Manila Regional Trial Court.
Other individuals who were issued show-cause orders were the acting mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Erano Timban, as well as various department heads from Bamban, Tarlac, and officials from Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc., including Thelma B. Laranan and Yu Zheng Can.
Incorporators of Baofu Land Corp., including dismissed Bamban Alice Leal Guo and Bernard Chua, as well as figures from Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. and Lucky South 99 Corp., and the incorporators of Biancham Holdings and Trading, including Roque, his wife Mylah, Joel Butuyan and Zharmal Garcia, were also issued show-cause orders.
An officer of Whirlwind Corp., Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, was also cited in contempt by the committee for snubbing the hearing.