A Quezon City court has granted the bail petition of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency official Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino who was nabbed in a shabu laboratory raid in Sta. Cruz, Manila on January 21.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 82 Judge Lyn Ebora Cacha ordered Marcelino to post a P1-million bail and inform the court within three days of any change in his address.
“Accordingly, Lt. Col. Ferdinand L. Marcelino is allowed to post bail with the following conditions and non-compliance of violation of any may result in the forfeiture of the bond,” the court said in a resolution.
The court also directed Marcelino to surrender his passport and a hold departure order issued on him. Marcelino was also asked to execute an undertaking of his court appearance before the Department of Justice.
The court junked the bail plea of Marcelino’s co-accused, Yan Yin Shou’s, who was also arrested in the raid where 76 kilos of shabu valued at P380 million were seized, saying “the court finds strong evidence to deny bail applied for.”
Anti-narcotics policemen were dismayed by the grant of bail to Marcelino.
Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group chief of staff Senior Supt. Leonardo Suan wondered why only Marcelino was granted bail, saying that they filed the same case and used the same evidence against Chinese Yan Yi Shou, alias “Randy.”
“This is disgusting. We want to know why only Marcelino, why not the two of them, considering that they were both inside the shabu laboratory,” said Suan.
Suan said he understands the frustrations of his men who were all disappointed upon learning of the decision. “They worked so hard for this, they risked their lives for this,” said Suan.
Marcelino used to be an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency when former military chief of staff Gen. Dionisio Santiago was appointed to head the agency. Santiago tapped military men then to join the PDEA.
When the AIDG and PDEA raided the shabu laboratory, they were surprised to see Marcelino inside.
A fuming PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac reportedly ordered the arrest of Marcelino who claimed that he has orders from the military to conduct anti-illegal drugs intelligence works.
PDEA and AIDG officials wondered why Marcelino was still dipping his hands on anti-illegal drugs operations when he is no longer connected with any anti-illegal drugs agency.
Supt. Enrico Rigor, head of the Legal and Investigation Division of the AIDG, said they will file a motion for consideration.
“We will file a motion for reconsideration for the judge to consider whatever he fails to see in our arguments,” said Rigor.
Rigor said that if Yan was denied bail, bail should have also been denied to Marcelino. “Basically the evidence used against Randy is essentially the same evidence used against Col. Marcelino, same din naman ang case nila, same ang pinaghulihan nila,” said Rigor.
“The same evidence was sufficient to deny the petition for bail of Randy,” Rigor said.
The camp of Marcelino said they are now working to raise the bail. “We received the notice yesterday so ngayon maghagilap muna ng funds to pay for the bail requirements,” said Vonne Villanueva, spokesman of Marcelino.
(Chito A. Chavez and Aaron B. Recuenco)