By AARON RECUENCO
Ador Mawanay, who had accused Sen. Panfilo Lacson of involvement in various illegal activities, particularly illegal drugs, was arrested in Pasig City last Wednesday for estafa.
Mawanay, whose real name is Antonio Luis Marquez, was arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
He was arrested in an operation in Greenwoods Subdivision at around 5:30 p.m. for allegedly duping a physician who ordered some P12 million worth of medical supplies for COVID-19.
PNP-CIDG director Police Major Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel said Mawanay was arrested through a warrant of arrest for estafa issued by the Antipolo City Regional Trial Court Branch 100.
“(A) doctor ordered medical supplies from Mawanay worth P12 million at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But due to the delay, the doctor began to worry and sensed that he is already a victim of estafa prompting him to seek the assistance of the CIDG,” said Coronel.
Currently, Coronel said that there are still 200,000 pieces of undelivered facemasks.
CIDG officials said the modus operandi of Mawanay is to sell medical supplies, particularly facemasks, online.
“He promises fast delivery. But once payment is made, he will then block the numbers of his customers and never completes the transactions; hence, no deliveries were ever made or completed,” said Coronel.
A background check revealed that Mawanay has standing arrest warrants in Quezon City, San Juan City, and Antipolo.
Mawanay had accused Lacson of involvement in various illegal activities, particularly in illegal drugs. He claimed that Lacson amassed millions of money from illegal activities.
He also linked Lacson’s trusted men, former police officer Cesar Mancao and Michael Ray Aquino, in the kidnap-slay of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer.
Mawanay also claimed that then Sen. now Antique Rep. Loren Legarda ordered some P10 million worth of smuggled cellular phones from him.
Mawanay served as a star witness of former Armed Forces intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus against former Lacson in 2001.
Mawanay held a press conference and absolved Lacson in 2004, saying he was just pressured by Corpus and former First Gentleman Juan Miguel “Mike” T. Arroyo. Lacson is a known critic of then President and former House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo.
None of the allegations made by Mawanay against Lacson, Loren, and other known personalities prospered into cases filed in court.
Coronel said they are still waiting for the verification of arrest warrants from the San Juan and Quezon City courts.
The CIDG is also investigating other allegations being hurled against Mawanay.
