DON'T QUIT, PDEA CHIEF TELLS DOJ LAWYERS

MANILA, Philippines-No, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
Director Dionisio Santiago would not want the prosecutors on the
Department of Justice's (DOJ) Task Force on Anti-Illegal Drugs to quit.

His agency might be at odds with the prosecutors over allegations of
bribery in the "Alabang Boys" case, but Santiago said the prosecutors
"should stay and cleanse" the organization.

"If they believe in their integrity and if they believe they have done
the right thing, why would they leave?" Santiago told reporters in
Filipino, when sought for comment.

The antidrug prosecutors, led by Chief Special Prosecutor Jovencito
Zuno, had threatened to quit the task force amid allegations some of
them received a bribe to drop the case against the "Alabang Boys."

Santiago himself said he would not quit his post despite calls for him
to leave. "Why should I resign? I know I am on the right side," he
said after a press conference in Quezon City.

He said the main issue was not the bribery allegation but the legal
process. "We just want to show we are not law violators," Santiago
said, apparently hurt by statements PDEA agents did not know what they
were doing.

A resolution on Dec. 2, 2008, signed by Zuno had ordered the release
of the three suspects, citing among other things, an illegal arrest
and search by antinarcotics agents. The PDEA refused to free the three
because the resolution automatically went under review.

Santiago lamented what he said was an effort to discredit Maj.
Ferdinand Marcelino, the PDEA agent who exposed the alleged bribery
try and who he described as "an honest guy."

Marcelino led the buy-bust operation on Sept. 20, 2008, that netted
suspects Richard Santos Brodett, Joseph Ramirez Tecson and Jorge
Jordana Joseph.

The National Bureau of Investigation, however, said Marcelino appeared
reluctant to give a statement.

Arnel Dalumpines, head of the NBI Special Task Force conducting a
probe of the alleged bribery in the drug case, said a team of agents
went to the PDEA office Friday afternoon to get Marcelino's statement.

"But he (Marcelino) said it was Justice Secretary (Raul) Gonzalez who
should be investigated, not him," Dalumpines said. "But after
consulting with his lawyer, he said he will submit his affidavit on
Wednesday."

For his part, Marcelino said he met with Armed Forces Chief of Staff
Gen. Alexander Yano in Camp Aguinaldo at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, "that
was why I failed to appear at the NBI."