Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has ordered an investigation into the leak of the resolution which approved the filing of charges against former Philippine National Police (PNP) Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto and his co-accused concerning their involvement in the smuggling of billions of pesos worth of narcotics.
Guevarra said yesterday he has designated Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon to conduct the investigation and have it done as soon as possible.
“The office of the prosecutor general is now doing the probe,” he said in a text message.
For his part, Fadullon said he might invite members of the media as part of the investigation.
Last week, various media outfits reported that the Department of Justice (DoJ) has issued a resolution which approved the filing of charges against Acierto and seven others over the smuggling of illegal drugs in 2018 using magnetic lifters.
Prior the release of the resolution, Guevarra had already ordered to keep the resolution confidential so as not to jeopardize the arrest of the accused including Acierto who has been publicly accusing Michael Yang, President Duterte’s former foreign economic adviser, as being involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Guevarra believes the release of the resolution may have prompted Acierto and his co-accused to go into hiding.
“He (Acierto) has been hiding since the Senate blue ribbon committee chaired by Sen. [Richard] Gordon investigated the magnetic-lifter drug smuggling cases,” he said.
“I suppose that leaked information of his impending arrest made him hide all the more,” Guevarra pointed out.
The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 35 has issued arrest warrants against Acierto and his co-accused after the DoJ filed charges against them.
In a 45-page resolution, the DoJ ruled that it has found probable cause and recommended that “an information for violation of Section 4 in relation to Section 28 and 31, RA 9165 (Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) be filed against these respondents…” (Jeffrey Damicog)
