THE chief of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG)-Cebu accused an officer of the National Bureau of Investigation 7 of lying when he said that Monday night’s incident was merely a result of the NBI implementing an order from PASG Chief Antonio Villar Jr.
PASG-Cebu Chief Ariel Palcuto said that when he reviewed Mission Order 0343-2008, dated Sept. 26, this was addressed not to the NBI 7 but to the team leader, Atty. Edmundo T. Arugay, Director Guillermo Pedro A. Francia IV, Jovellano L. Templo and Rolando Sanchez.
Arugay is PASG operations chief in Manila, while Francia is the PASG director.
Palcuto also alleged that it was not Villar who signed the mission order but PASG Assistant Secretary Danilo Mangila.
Palcuto said that Mangila, a retired chief superintendent of the Philippine National Police, even told him that it is standard operating procedure that PASG-Manila should coordinate with PASG-Cebu in any anti-smuggling operation.
NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare, however, clarified in a separate interview that they did not lead the operation that resulted in the seizure of a container van.
They merely followed instructions to seize it.
Macabare wondered why the container van the NBI seized and continues to guard is raising such a ruckus within the PASG-Cebu detachment.
Taking offense at Palcuto’s statement that he was lying when he presented the order, Macabare, also NBI head agent, said he never claimed that the mission order authorized the NBI 7 agents to lead the operation.
“What I said was we assisted the PASG team from Manila in the operation,” Macabare said.
But Palcuto said that it was very clear in Mangila’s order that Arugay’s team was “to be assisted by NBI Region VII, headed by Atty. Ludgi (Medardo de) Lemos.”
However, NBI 7 implemented the order without the principal persons they were supposed to assist.
Palcuto added that while PASG-Cebu is authorized to conduct the anti-smuggling drive, NBI 7 is not.
Arugay’s team was in Cebu last Friday, when the surveillance operation on three container vans inside the Cebu International Port (CIP) began.
Based on the information that reached Arugay, the vans would leave the customs zone of the CIP that evening. It did not.
The team had already returned to Manila when one of the three vans left the CIP early Monday evening.
Macabare said their seizure of the van heeded the instruction of the PASG team from Manila. Moreover, the mission order that directed them to assist in the operation was valid then, as it was good from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6.
Another proof that the NBI didn’t head the operation is the fact that they have not opened the van even until now.
“We are waiting for the PASG team from Manila to arrive to open it because that is their case,” he said.
During the NBI’s seizure of the van, the PASG Cebu detachment came in full force and weaponry and attempted to arrest the NBI agents who, according to de Lemos, “were compliant, not resistant and identified themselves continuously.”
The PASG in Cebu was not privy to the operation as the PASG team from Manila opted not to inform them.
Palcuto said it was Arugay who initiated the mission order but he believes that those behind the issuance of the document have a hidden agenda — either to make money or to embarrass his group.
He also said that the disarming of two NBI 7 agents was a standard operating procedure.
NBI deputy director for regional operations services Reynaldo Esmeralda has ordered de Lemos to explain in 72 hours why they should not be penalized for violating Administrative Order 2.
That order requires regional and district commands to seek approval from the operations services division for any operations or investigation.
Esmeralda said that the NBI chain of command showed that from Mantaring, he (Esmeralda) is the immediate superior of de Lemos and NBI 7 and not anybody from PASG-Manila. (EOB/KNR)
