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Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Davao mayor names town exec in drug trade
By Grace L. Plata and Ben Jason O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte identified the Maguindanao town mayor whom he hinted as being involved in the illegal drugs deal during Tuesday's City Council session.
He identified Parang Mayor Abu Talib as the town executive linked to illegal drug trade and offered a P1-million reward to anyone who can give information and deliver these people to the authorities while in the act of selling illegal drugs.
Duterte identified Talib in the presence of Davao City Police Director Catalino Cuy and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Wilkins Villanueva.
Talib was one of two Maguindanao town mayors who earlier came out to dare Duterte to name names, saying the mayor's repeated allusion to the yet unnamed mayor was putting a cloud of suspicion on the 27 town mayors of Maguindanao.
Sun.Star tried reaching Talib for comment Tuesday but to no avail.
Duterte also named the two policemen he has been alluding to, who are both assigned with the San Pedro Police Precinct. The two policemen, he said, are surnamed Ayao and Echavez.
"We are not yet confirming the report of PDEA. The two are under investigation," San Pedro Police Precinct Chief Marvin Manuel Pepino said.
The mayor advised the two policemen to seek new assignments outside the city.
Standing room only
The session hall was jampacked when Duterte made the announcement.
Duterte arrived at the session hall at 1:40 p.m. and presented the so-called "matrix" of drug dealers with Cuy and Villanueva.
He also answered the questions from the City Council until 4 p.m.
The gallery audience stayed on as well, listening to every word the mayor was saying.
It was the first time ever that Duterte appeared before the council and grilled by council members.
Upline and Downline
Duterte said the intelligence reports from police and PDEA showed that Talib is one of the main sources of illegal drugs in Mindanao.
Peter Chou, who is now serving time in the National Penitentiary, heads the Abu Drug Group, according to PDEA information.
A still unidentified man, a John Doe, is the upline distributor of the Abu drug group.
Also identified with the group are: Kagi Lao, also known as Hadji Lao, who appears to be the upline distributor of Bing Ampatuan; one alias Ada, whose real name is said to be Saada Acmad Ali, allegedly the sister of Wahida Acmad Datumanon, the alleged largest distributor in Cotabato.
Another group, Duterte said, is the one headed by Dong Sinsuat of Kabacan town.
With this Sinsuat, he said, is Manuel Sionco also known as Virgilio Sionco from Cotabato.
Edris Jupli and Edward Talib, also known as Muhammad Talin, are under this group, he said.
Both groups' downlines include one alias Lucky, Musa, Napshia Dares, the deceased Diana Toronan, Michel Lutz also known as Michael Barraquias, one known as Duds of Toril Aronie Gulles, and one Alex Lim.
The slain Engineer Luis Francisco also worked allegedly with both groups, the mayor claimed.
Bagsakan
According to Duterte, what outraged him is the fact that Southern Mindanao has become the receiver of the bulk of illegal drugs, which finds its way to the city from Ozamis and the Caraga Region through different routes employed by these drug groups.
Duterte said from Ozamiz the drugs go to Zamboanga, Cotabato, and Cagayan de Oro. Drugs from Cagayan de Oro get to Davao through the Buda route. Caraga Region supply goes to Trento Area in Agusan del Sur and then to Davao City.
One way or the other, Davao City has become a "bagsakan," (drop-off point) he said.
Duterte said albeit the perpetrators have been named, these people could not be arrested if not being caught in act. He offered the monetary reward. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(October 18, 2006 issue)
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