BOMBSHELL DRUG TALE
FORMER Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban yesterday implicated Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband and brother, Manases “Mans” Carpio and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, respectively, and former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s presidential economic adviser Michael Yang in the smuggling of P11 billion worth of shabu hidden in magnetic lifters discovered at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in 2018.
Guban revealed this information in his affidavit and testimony before the House of Representatives’ quad-committee investigating alleged links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the illegal drug trade, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) tied to the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs.”
Currently detained at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, Guban was brought to Bacolor, Pampanga, where the quad-committee—comprising the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts—held its first joint public hearing.
In his affidavit, Guban stated that Davao City Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera Jr. introduced him to the smuggling operation in early 2017.
He said that Abellera described himself as the “business partner and trusted man” of Congressman Duterte, Carpio, and Yang, a Chinese businessman and known associate of the Duterte family.
During the hearing, Guban described Yang as “a big-time importer of drugs.”
Yang is currently the subject of an arrest and detention order issued by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs after being cited in contempt for repeatedly refusing to attend committee hearings related to his alleged involvement in a P3.6-billion drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga, last year.
“Small told me that he is the business partner and trusted man of Michael Yang, Pulong Duterte, the son of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, and Atty. Mans Carpio, the husband of then Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte,” Guban said in his affidavit. “As their business partner and trusted man, he was tasked to facilitate the release of shipments from the Bureau of Customs.”
Guban disclosed that Abellera repeatedly requested him to ease restrictions on certain shipments. He quoted Abellera as saying, “Luwagan mo ‘yang mga shipments na ‘yan, alam mo naman na kina Michael Yang, Pulong, at Mans ‘yan.”
He also revealed his collaboration with former police officer Colonel Eduardo Acierto, who provided additional intelligence on the smuggling operations.
Guban said that Acierto’s investigations identified a suspicious shipment from Vecaba Trading International, the consignee of the seized shabu.
According to Guban, Vecaba Trading is owned by Vedasto Cabral Baraquel Jr. and his live-in partner Maria Lagrimas Catipan, who serve as business dummies for businessman and importer Poney Chen and his former wife, Emily Luquingan, both residents of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
Guban said he reported his findings to a certain General Quinto, who sought approval from then Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to place the shipment on hold.
“When it became certain that the shipment of Vecaba Trading was located in the MICP, I reported to Gen. Quinto this fact so that he could request Commissioner Lapeña for the issuance of a hold-and-alert order. That request was approved by the then Commissioner Lapeña,” Guban stated.
Guban’s affidavit also detailed a threat he received during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, where he was cited for contempt due to inconsistencies in his testimony.
He claimed that a media personality named Paul Gutierrez, accompanied by a Senate committee staff member, visited him and warned him against mentioning the names of Pulong Duterte, Carpio, and Yang in his testimony.
“‘Wag mong banggitin ang mga pangalan nila Pulong, Michael Yang, at Mans. Alam namin kung saan nakatira ang pamilya mo, alam din namin na nasa Makati ang anak mong lalaki,” Gutierrez allegedly told Guban.
Gutierrez, a former president of the National Press Club, is currently the executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.
In another instance, Guban recounted a phone call from Bureau of Customs official Lourdes Mangaoang, who inquired about the Vecaba Trading shipment.
According to Guban, Mangaoang said, “Anong magagawa dyan sa shipment na ‘yan, kina pareng Benny Antiporda ‘yan,” referring to then-Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda.
The shipment from Vecaba Trading was eventually intercepted, and two magnetic lifters containing shabu were discovered.
The operation was conducted in the presence of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officials and other government personnel, including MICP District Collector Vener Baquiran.
Guban admitted that during the hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he refrained from naming Pulong, Carpio, and Yang due to threats against his family. However, he later expressed regret for not revealing their alleged involvement earlier.
The affidavit also noted that Guban was convicted for his role in the smuggling operation and is currently appealing his conviction with the Court of Appeals.
Toward the end of the hearing, the quad-committee ordered that invitations be sent to all individuals mentioned by Guban in his affidavit and testimony.
VEHEMENT DENIAL
Former DENR Undersecretary Antiporda issue the following statement:
“Mr. Guban’s allegations are lies of great magnitude as magnified by the fact that it lacks any evidentiary support but his self-serving allegations.
“For one, I do not know him as he himself admitted that he does not know me. For another, while I know Michael Yang, Mans Carpio and Polong by their names, I do not personally know any of them, have not met them, much less talked to any of them personally or electronically at any occasions.
“I would like to emphasize that I totally abhor corruption and it is common knowledge, and it is with more reason that I am absolutely against illegal drugs.
PTFoM OFFICIAL GUTIERREZ REBUTS GUBAN
Gutierrez has also denied Gumban’s allegations, stressing that he has been active in the drive against Customs’ drug smuggling and has constantly written numerous articles on alleged illicit activities since 2017.
His statement:
“At the Quadcomm hearing of Congress early today, my name was repeatedly mentioned by Mr. Jimmy Guban, the former customs intelligence officer who has been convicted for a drug trafficking incident in 2018.
“His statements against me are all falsehoods and clearly fed to him by someone else:
1. I don’t personally know nor have I ever met—even up to now—any of the Dutertes, Atty. Mans Carpio or Michael Yang; I also never had any personal or professional dealings with Mr. Guban while I was covering the customs beat, although the things I’ve been hearing about him at the waterfront are all unsavory.
2. Another of his clear falsehood is claiming that Mr. Michael Yang is a “member” of the National Press Club. We have never met Mr. Yang nor has Mr. Yang ever set foot at the NPC.
3. At the time that he said that I confronted him at the detention center of the Senate, I am not an “assistant” of Mr. Benny Antiporda but a reporter and columnist for my newspaper, People’s Tonight covering the customs and Senate beat. As the Senate and customs beats are my area of coverage, I need to be there to cover the drug smuggling probe and all hearings at the Senate.
4. As a lowly reporter, I am not in any position to make any threats to him, and according to him, in front of a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee staff. As a matter of rule, visits to any Senate detainee had to be approved by the chair and the result reported to him.
5. How can I threaten him on behalf of people that I don’t know and who also do not know me? Also, if indeed, I did that, would this not be reported to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee leading to my being banned from further covering the Senate?
6. While I indeed visited him once right after the Senate ordered him detained, it was to check on his health as many at the time believed that he was just feigning ill health to avoid further questioning. I also want to confirm from him if a former National Press Club officer is his “PR” as this former officer is seen attending the Senate hearings although he no longer represents any newspaper. He did not answer me.
7. What is Guban’s motive for linking me to the issue? Why don’t we uncover those who prepared his falsehood of a testimony to find the answer as I also have no idea.
8. As my conscience is clear, I am not bothered at all by all the lies Guban has been making nowadays.
9. Time and again, Guban has been proven to be an inveterate liar. Our lawmakers should therefore be forewarned in believing anything he says. Truth must always fit with the evidence.”
