Justice department files charges on importers, brokers; clears Faeldon, other ex-Customs execs over P6.4b shabu shipment

November 22, 2017

The Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against importers, brokers and other individuals involved in the smuggling of 605 kilos of shabu worth P6.4 billion which was seized by the Bureau of Customs last May.

But prosecutors cleared former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon and 11 others of any involvement in the incident.

Prosecutors filed on Wednesday a complaint for the crime of importation of dangerous drugs against importers, brokers and other persons  before the Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court.

The prosecutors dismissed the complaint of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for conspiracy to import illegal drugs and protecting or coddling of drug traffickers and corrupt practices of public officers for lack of probable cause.

The justice department approved the indictment of Chen Ju Long alias “Richard Tan” or “Richard Chen”, Li Guang Feng alias “Manny Li”, Dong Yi Shen Xi alias “Kenneth Dong”, Mark Ruben Taguba II, Eirene Mae Tatad, Teejay Marcellana, Chen Min, Jhu Ming Jhun and Chen Rong Huan.

No bail was recommended before the Valenzuela court.

"In finding probable cause against the above-named respondents for the importation of 602 kilograms of shabu, the Panel determined that the combination of the individual participation of each of the respondents, either as shipper, consolidator, facilitator, broker, financier, consignee, or warehouse lessee – reveals a pattern of over acts indicative of conspiracy to import into the country the dangerous drugs," the DOJ ruled.

The justice department cited a basis in clearing Faeldon PDEA's "failure to state with clarity the acts or omission supposedly committed by the above-named BOC respondents that would constitute violation of the offense charged."

Aside from Faeldon, also cleared were former Customs Investigation and Intelligence Service chief Neil Anthony Estrella; former director Milo Maestrecampo; intelligence officers Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valiente; Manila International Container Port district collector lawyer Vincent Phillip Maronilla;  Faeldon's fiancé, lawyer Jeline Maree Magsuci; and BOC employees Alexandra Ventura, Randolph Cabansag, Dennis Maniego, Dennis Cabildo and John Edillor.

The panel also dismissed the charges against Emily Anoche Dee for maintaining a drug den, citing lack of knowledge on the part of Emily that her property being rented will be used as a transshipment point of the drugs.

They also cleared the corporate officers of Hong Fei Logistics due to failure of the PDEA to show that these corporate officers knowingly consented to or actively participated in the importation of the subject shipment. DMS