DAVAO CITY — The Makabayan bloc in the Lower House sought a congressional investigation into the controversial anti-illegal drugs buy-bust operation conducted by law enforcement agencies in Davao de Oro in Barangay Pindasan, Mabini, Davao de Oro on November 6.
The members of the Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 2342 on November 10 ‘directing the House of Representatives, through the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, to investigate, in aid of legislation, the drug raid operations conducted by law enforcement agencies in Brgy. Pindasan, Mabini, Davao De Oro, and the alleged cover-up on the involvement of the former Davao City Information Officer Jefry Tupas and several other personalities.’
In the said raid, police arrested 17 people and confiscated 26 packs of suspected dried marijuana leaves; weighing 200 grams with an estimated street value amounting to P24,000; sachets of suspected shabu weighing 10 grams with an estimated street amounting to P150,000; 722 tables of suspected party drugs with an estimated street value worth P1,227,400, liquid drugs, vials, and energy drinks, with a street value of P1.5-million.
“The suspects arrested during the said raid, however, claimed in an interview with the online media outlet, Newsline Philippines, that the law enforcers made a cover-up by allowing Jefrey Tupas and other partygoers to leave the resort during the raid. The suspects claim that there are at least 50 partygoers when the authorities staged the raid,” the Makabayan House members said in their resolution.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11, however, denied in a press conference on November 10 the speculations of a “cover-up” in the anti-drug operation.
“Those are speculations and I don’t understand why there are issues about a ‘certain list’ because this is a planned operation and the intricacies of the operation are with us and of course our subjects of the operation are those who were arrested,” said Aileen Lovitos, PDEA-11 regional director.
Among the authors of the resolution were Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Isagani Zarate; Reps. Ferdinand R. Gaite and Eufemia C. Cullamat of Bayan Muna; Asst. Minority Leader France Castro (ACT Teachers Partylist); Asst. Minority Leader Arlene D. Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Partylist) and Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago (Kabataan Partylist).
“The group of Tupas, they claimed, was then later on allowed to leave the resort. Another suspect also claimed that the confiscated and inventoried items came from Tupas and her companions, but the raiding team later on presented such materials as the possessions of the arrested individuals,” stated the resolution.
Tupas claimed she was not involved in the use or possession of the drugs, and that she, her boyfriend, and another companion left the place before the police arrived.
Arrested by the police operatives were Revsan Ethelbert Papay Elizalde, 33 years old, single, resident of Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City; Eana Faye Marie Olea, Bryk Jiordan Archival, Kurk Bryan Tiubot, Paolo Guerero, Jomark Aping, Ariel Bueno, Edel Caballero, Ronald Chuan, Fritz Dinopol, Tom Jhun Doblas, Mark Christopher Isip, Janlord Masong, Christopher Prudente, Jesus Ragas III, Giovanni Tabanao and Jason Viduya.
In an interview with Newsline, the suspects said, during the raid, they asked us to drop facing the ground, and names were called.
The following are their version of the raid:
“They first called where is Jef Tupas, then he went missing, they called the name of his . . . the name of a boyfriend, then Revsan (Elizalde, the target of the raid per PDEA) the rest names then, there were those… they called us, we were separated group by group, there were those from Manila:”
When asked, “Are you willing to tell this in your testimony? Those two are missing?”
“Not only two went missing, but there were also many, many are missing, we are wondering why there were many of us when they came to us, they had a logbook, asking where is.. where is.. where is Jefry Tupas, where is Wong,” they said. – With reports from Editha Z. Caduaya
