HINDI na nasorpresa si retired General at dating director ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency na si Dionisio Santiago nang tukuyin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang pangalan ni Judge Antonio Reyes ng Baguio City na dawit sa ilegal na droga.
“Wala kaming napapanalunang kaso!” ayon kay Santiago na ang pinatutungkulan ay ang mga drug-related cases na hinawakan ng branch 61 ng Baguio City Regional Trial Court na ang hukom ay si Reyes.
Ayon kay Santiago, wala na silang magawa kung nauuwi sa wala ang kaso nila sa sala ni Reyes dahil lang sa teknikalidad.
The former PDEA Chief said there were talks of bribe money on why the cases were dismissed, but then again, mahirap mapatunayan.
“Mahirap na patunayan, unless mahuli mo talaga na nagka-ayusan o naareglo”.
Sometime in 2008, Santiago revealed he met with Reyes in his office at PDEA in Quezon City to discuss why they always lose the cases filed on technicalities.
“Nagpaliwanagan kami, nate-technical daw kami, pero siyempre, kinuwestiyon namin, hindi naman one sided ang argumento. Nagpaliwanag siya sa desisyon niya, pero kami naman, ginawa na namin ang lahat para maging solid yung case, wala pa rin”.
Aside from Baguio City, Santiago also mentioned that in Cotabato City, cases related to illegal drugs were also dismissed. “Lagi na lang ba kaming mali at nate-technical? Umabot kami sa pakiramdam na helpless, walang ma-prosecute na big fish talaga”.
Unang na-appoint si Santiago sa PDEA ni dating Pangulo at ngayon ay Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo noong 2006. Pero sinibak din after ng anim na buwan nang maupo ang noon ay kahahalal pa lang na pangulo na si Noynoy Aquino.
May listahan anya siyang isinumite kay Aquino; listahan ng pangalan ng mga government officials na idinadawit sa illegal drug trade.
“Tinanggal nila ako, kasi ako raw yung tarantado, tapos yung tarantado talaga, yun ang napuwesto pa sa mas mataas na posisyon,” pahayag pa ni Santiago.
Ang listahan na isinumite niya ay kinabibilangan ng mga gobernador, mayor, konsehal at barangay captain, na galing sa iba’t ibang intelligence units na kasama sa kampanya laban sa droga.
“In short, puro mga law enforcers yun na involved sa paghahabol sa sindikato ng droga. Yun ang nagbuo ng listahan. We identified names per area and included it in the OB (Order of Battle),” paliwanag ni Santiago.
Pero hindi niya na inasahan na may aksyon na gagawin dahil kailangang pang i-build up ang mga kaso.
Ibang-iba anya ngayon ang kampanya ni Duterte. “He acted on the list, a different and updated list, and now, we see totally new direction on the war on drugs.”
Making the list public by the president was necessary since the Chief Executive needs the support of the public by exposing the extent of influence and control of the illegal drugs trade especially in government, the law enforcers and the judiciary.
Santiago also mentioned more names of local officials, two of them still incumbent officials in Region 4-A, and another a very prominent name in politics not just in Metro Manila but in the entire country.
While Santiago supports Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, he cautions law enforcers, especially those involved in providing the list to the president to make sure that the information is solid and that the others who are involved in the illegal drugs trade are really named and be charged in court.
Failing to name the other politicians may cast doubt on the intention of the list. “Baka isipin, may inililigtas kayo at hindi ninyo sinasabi lahat kay Presidente Digong”.