By Beatrice Puente
(November 8, 2021) – Shady deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation wouldn’t have happened had President Rodrigo Duterte acted on an intelligence report linking his former economic adviser Michael Yang to the drug trade, a former police officer turned whistleblower said on Sunday.
Eduardo Acierto, a dismissed colonel who formerly worked at the drug enforcement group of the Philippine National Police, resurfaced in a video sent to the media, asking senators to release a copy of his intelligence report linking Yang to a Chinese drug syndicate allegedly operating in the Philippines.
“Sigurado naman ngayong nakikita ninyong nagsasabi ako ng katotohanan,” said Acierto. “(Hiling kong) i-revisit nila ang kanilang recommendation sa report na kasuhan ako. Inosete ako rito. Nagtrabaho lang ako at nag-imbestiga. Hindi ako ‘yung drug lord—sina Michael Yang, si Allan Lim, sila ang mga drug lord.”
In 2019, Acierto faced an arrest warrant for the alleged importation of narcotics following the seizure of abandoned magnetic lifters in Manila and Cavite in 2018, containing P13.4 billion worth of methamphetamine. The Malacañang placed a P10 million bounty to speed up Acierto’s arrest.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who currently heads the investigation on Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, had earlier recommended the filing of charges against Acierto and several others following a two-month probe into the drug smuggling incident. Gordon also lambasted Acierto for offering vague proof on Yang’s drug links.
President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to go after Acierto when the latter claimed that the tough-talking leader ignored the report on Yang.
“Huwag kayong maniwala rito lalo na si Acierto. Tanong ko ‘yung military and police, bakit buhay pa ‘yung p****** i**** ‘yan?” asked Duterte in a speech in March 2019.
Acierto, who has since been in hiding, was also accused of taking part in illegally supplying AK-47 rifles to the New People’s Army, leading to his dismissal. He was also tagged in the controversial slaying of a Korean businessman at Camp Crame in Quezon City in 2016. Acierto denied these allegations.
He added that he would stand by the findings of his intelligence report especially now that Yang is under tight scrutiny for backing Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.
“Kung hindi itinago ang report ko tungkol kay Michael Yang at Allan Lim, hindi nangyari ang korapsyon ng Pharmally, walang nanakaw na pera ng bayan, ‘di nalagay sa panganib ang buhay ng mga healthcare worker natin dahil sa delayed, substandard, and expired na face mask at face shield,” said Acierto.
Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation bagged P11.7 billion worth of contracts from the Department of Budget and Management despite having a measly capital of P625,000. Company officials claimed that Yang was their financier and guarantor but he denied it.
Gordon, in one of the hearings, brought up Acierto’s claims against Yang to explain his links to some drug personalities. Duterte lambasted Gordon for using the statements of “a perjured witness,” referring to Acierto.
(PM)
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