Rep. Robert Ace Barbers accuses the Duterte administration of only jailing low-level individuals in its anti-illegal drug campaign while allowing the real masterminds behind billion-peso drug smuggling operations to escape prosecution. Barbers calls for legislative action to prevent future injustices and urges the Department of Justice to re-examine these cases.
The Duterte administration has been criticized for only jailing 'fall guys' during its bloody anti-illegal drug campaign, allowing the true masterminds behind billion-peso drug smuggling operations to remain free. Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers , the overall chairman of the House quad-committee investigating the Duterte drug war , made this accusation during the 14th hearing on January 21st.
Barbers lamented that innocent individuals have been imprisoned for up to 40 years while the real culprits behind massive drug shipments continue to evade prosecution. He cited the case of businessman Mark Taguba, warehouse guard Fidel Anoche Dee, and former Bureau of Customs (BOC) employee Jimmy Guban, who were convicted despite what Barbers believes were glaring gaps in evidence. Barbers argued that Taguba, a young entrepreneur, merely received shipments from importers and had no knowledge of the illegal drugs included. He also highlighted Dee's case, where an unsuspecting warehouse guard unknowingly received drug shipments in what was supposed to be a 'controlled delivery' by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Barbers stated that these individuals were likely used as scapegoats to hide the truth, resulting in a grave injustice that must be rectified. He criticized the past administration's failure to charge higher-level officials and influential individuals potentially involved in facilitating the entry of illegal drugs into the country. Barbers stressed the need to amend existing laws to prevent future injustices and wrongful convictions. He called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other relevant agencies to re-examine these cases and bring the true perpetrators to justice. As the quad-comm continues its investigation, Barbers vowed to pursue the real masterminds behind these operations and rectify past mistakes
Duterte Administration Drug War Robert Ace Barbers Drug Smuggling Injustice Philippines
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