MORE CHARGES AGAIN

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Gen. Dionisio
Santiago has this habit of coming with claimed exposes on the drug
front, among which are the alleged P50 million bribe to get the case
against the three drug pusher suspects baptized by the media as the
"Alabang Boys" and the latest, that claim that narco-politics has
penetrated up to the national level, so much so that the drug problem
has become a national security threat.

The big problem with Santiago's exposes, however, is the fact that
while he continues to bare all these, he refuses to name names or
even provide details.

The other problem with Santiago is that his so-called expose, even
when such has been the suspicion of the general public, leaves much
to be desired, especially as he has publicly admitted, in the case of
the Alabang Boys' drug buy bust P50 million bribery, that this
charge was issued merely as a psy-war tactic against the state
prosecutors, to put them on the defensive.

While it has always been stressed by the Tribune that bribery was
probably involved, given that the Department of Justice (DoJ) is
hardly the epitome of incorruptibility and integrity -- not to
mention justice itself -- the PDEA is also neither the epitome of
incorruptibility and integrity.

As it has developed, an anonymous letter tipped off the DoJ and the
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the state prosecutor, John
Resado, having had an amount of P1.6 million deposited in his account
on Dec. 2, or the day the drug case was dismissed by the DoJ.

Resado denied this, but admitted that P800,000 was deposited claiming
that this amount came from his wife's lending business.

PDEA's Maj. Fedinand Marcelino, the poseur-buyer in the drug buy
bust, quickly claimed vindication of his charge that the NBI probe
was not impartial, following reports of the P1.6 million in the
Resado bank account.

Resado also alleged that it was a PDEA lawyer who tried to bribe him
into dismissing the case. Still, if Resado is being slammed by the
House committee members for not reporting that criminal activity, why
aren't they doing the same to Marcelino, who not only did not report
to the concerned authorities of the P3 million bribe to him, but has
also refused to name his mistah who had offered him a bribe.

Whatever is the truth behind this P1.6 million, or at least P800,000
in the Resado account, what is clear is that the PDEA chief merely
alleges without proof and worse, appears to come up with so-called
exposes directed at those whom he believes would put the heat on
him, such as the members of Congress.

Now he zeroes in on narco-politics, and having a military
orientation, speaks of this as a threat to national security.

He also reportedly expressed frustration at having difficulty in
busting the biggies in politics.

There is hardly any doubt that there are, in the chambers of both
houses of Congress, some prominent politicians who are known as
dopeheads, if not pushers themselves.

It is also known that within the Malacanang corridors is a very
influential person and groups that are involved in the smuggling of
drugs, not to mention other smuggling activities, as well as their
involvement in jueteng payoffs, which incidentally, also figures in
the numbers racket politics.

If the public already knows of this, surely PDEA knows about this
more. So why doesn't Santiago bare the names of the national
politicians who are involved in the drug trade?

It is also no secret that drug dealing flourishes in both the
Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines --
and not just the politicians. So why doesn't Santiago speak of this
too?

More to the point, why doesn't he, being the chief of PDEA, go after
the big drug pushers, especially, as he claims this is a threat to
national security?

He still isn't done with his psy-war charge of a P50 million bribery,
there he goes off again on charges of narco-politics.

He should put his money where his mouth is, and start delivering.