Manila court convicts fixer Mark Taguba, 3 others in P6-billion shabu mess

MANILA, Philippines – A Manila court convicted former customs officer Mark Taguba and three others over the 2017 multi-billion-peso shabu mess, according to a decision made public on Friday, September 13.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 21 Presiding Judge Alma Crispina Collado-Lacorte found Taguba, Eirene Mae Tatad, Fidel Dee, and Dong Yi Shen aka Kenneth Dong guilty of violating three counts of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

All four were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to pay a fine of P50 million for each count.

“All told, the prosecution having established the guilt of the accused accused Eirene Mae Tatad, Mark Ruben Taguba II, Fidel Anoche Dee, and Dong Yi Shen @Kenneth Dong beyond reasonable doubt, the Court has no other recourse except to hold them criminally liable,” the court said in the ruling dated July 2.

The case stemmed from allegations that the suspects conspired to illegally import 602.279 kilograms of shabu worth P6.4 billion in May 2017, bypassing the supposedly tight screening procedures of the Bureau of Customs.

The controversy reached Congress, resulting in legislative hearings and implicating customs officials through Taguba’s statements. He and his associates were eventually indicted in 2018 over the mess.

In July, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV implicated Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, in the issue once again, filing a complaint against them with the Department of Justice over their alleged involvement in smuggling activities. – Rappler.com