THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) urged on Wednesday the remaining fugitives to surrender and face charges concerning their involvement in the 2017 smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs.
NBI spokesperson Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin made the call after NBI operatives arrested last Monday Kenneth Dong, one of the subjects of the arrest warrants issued by Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46.
Dong, who was presented before the media yesterday afternoon, insisted on his innocence, claiming he intended to surrender to authorities after the Chinese New Year (Feb. 5).
“To the others who are still on the list and are wanted, we advise them do not wait for the next Chinese New Year,” said Lavin.
Lavin assured that the NBI is continuously hunting the other accused issued with arrest warrants.
“We hope to keep the ball rolling and account for all the others who were issued arrest warrants,” said Lavin who also urged the public to help in the hunt and provide information to the NBI.
Meanwhile, Dong was presented yesterday to the Manila RTC for the return of the search warrant.
“The court has already acquired jurisdiction of this person and arraignment will follow,” said lawyer Joel Tovera, chief of the NBI’s Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) that arrested Dong.
In the meantime, Tovera said Dong will remain detained at the NBI detention facility while the court has yet to issue a commitment order as to where the accused will be detained.
Dong said he will file an appeal before the court to have himself detained at the detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City due to safety concerns.
Dong is facing before the Manila RTC a drug importation case in violation of Section 4 in relation to Section 26 (a) of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Among the nine persons charged and issued arrests warrants in the case, three are already in government custody; namely Dong, customs broker Mark Ruben Taguba II and Eirene Mae Tatad.
The other accused who remain at-large are Chen Julong, alias Richard Tan or Richard Chen; Li Guang Feng, alias Manny Li; Teejay Marcellana; Chen I-Min; Jhu Ming Jhun; and Chen Rong Huan. (Jeffrey Damicog)