|
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Mayor worries over solon's ties with suspected drug lord
CEBU CITY -- What is it between Calvin Tan and Lito Ruiz that has got Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano worried?
Ouano, currently vacationing in Singapore, had his private counsel, Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu, meet the press Monday afternoon to condemn Ruiz for having "unauthorized contact" with the extradited drug financier over the past few days.
Dalawampu, in Ouano's name, will file a manifestation before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap within the week to get her to make Ruiz, husband of Representative Nerissa Soon-Ruiz explain why he's establishing contact with Tan.
She admits that the mayor is not a party to the case but believes that Judge Yap will not consider the Office of the Mayor out of line for doing so.
"We have videotapes showing Ruiz going to Calvin Tan's cell at the CPDRC (Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center). What business does he have of going there?" Dalawampu said.
She pointed out that Gov. Gwen Garcia has issued instructions that the only person Tan is allowed to see is his lawyer.
Tan has been identified as the one who bankrolled the shabu laboratory in Umapad, Mandaue City. He has been included in the illegal manufacture of drugs case filed against 13 men, 11 of whom were arrested during the raid on the facility last Sept. 24.
Tan was brought to Cebu from Hong Kong two weeks ago where he was detained for a separate drug charge. He was arrested about to head to Macau days after the raids.
Ouano's name was dragged into the mess for City Hall's failure to spot the warehouse that was turned into a shabu laboratory. Another warehouse in Paknaan was also raided a day later.
He was investigated by the House committee on dangerous drugs, co-chaired by Congresswoman Soon-Ruiz and the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
The House inquiry was terminated without any findings of guilt but the anti-graft probe is still on going.
While admitting that Ruiz is well within his rights in visiting a jailed accused in a criminal case and in attending an RTC hearing, Dalawampu insists that Ruiz has no business talking to Tan.
Moreover, she said, while Ruiz is claiming that he was instructed to do so upon orders of Malacañang to "secure" the inmate, the Office of the President itself has belied this.
"The Office of Executive Secretary (Eduardo) Ermita does not have any records of him having any meeting or receiving any order of any kind from the President," Dalawampu said.
Since when has Ruiz been with the PNP or the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology that he is now qualified to ensure the security of a man charged with a criminal offense, she asked.
Dalawampu denied allegations that Ouano's objections to the visit is just to make sure no dirt is dug up and dodged observations that the mayor's concern borders on being paranoid.
"The mayor has every right to know what is going on in that case. The mayor has all the right to ensure that justice is done here," she said.
Since the drug laboratory was in Mandaue, Dalawampu said the Office of the City Mayor still exercises some level of jurisdiction over the situation, particularly on Ruiz and his "unauthorized contact with Calvin Tan."
"Calvin Tan is a big catch with regards to the dangerous drugs issue and Ruiz is the mayor's political foe. Our apprehension is that there will be some monkey business that will go on there with him around," she said. (KNR/Sun.Star Cebu)
(August 2, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Senate chief ouster imminent: senator