Thursday, January 15, 2009 Marcelino told: Name your mistah in public
A LAWMAKER asked Wednesday Major Ferdinand Marcelino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to publicly identify his mistah (classmate) in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) who attempted to bribe him with P3 million in exchange for dropping the charges against the so-called "Alabang Boys."
"Major Marcelino has to reveal soon who was this mistah of his who made the bribe offer. This is the gap in his otherwise brilliant testimony," said Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez in an interview after the House hearing on the controversial Alabang Boys case.
Golez warned Marcelino that his continued refusal to name his mistah "would crack his credibility."
Marcelino already named the mistah in an executive session of the House committee on dangerous drugs Wednesday last week.
Golez said it was understandable why Marcelino refuses to talk to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which is under the administrative supervision and control of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. who publicly berated him in the House hearing.
"But he has to eventually grapple with this gap in his revelation," the congressman said, adding that Marcelino should submit himself to an interview with the Office of the Ombudsman which is also investigating the Department of Justice (DOJ).
At one point in the hearing of the House committee on dangerous drugs, Gonzalez and Marcelino raised their voices against each other when the alleged bribery attempts to free drug suspects Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson were discussed.
Gonzalez told Marcelino, a former Marine, that he should have entrapped the caller, Joe Tecson, and the PDEA officer's unnamed mistah who both offered as much P3 million.
This prompted Marcelino to tell the justice secretary that he was not a "war freak as you want to insinuate" to which Gonzalez shot back: "I'm not insinuating you as a war freak, I'm just telling you because you are being emotional here."
Golez said even if the attempt to bribe was from a private person, the one approached is a government official and thus covered by the authority of the Ombudsman."
He said like all those involved in the controversy, "Gonzalez must cooperate instead of blasting the Ombudsman."
Golez likewise urged the Ombusman "to go full steam ahead" against fixers in the DOJ who may have influenced prosecutors to dismiss several drug-related cases. (WV/Sunnex)
