Army Chief Defends Marcelino in Drug Case by Alexis Romero (Philstar.Com) | Updated January 24, 2016 - 5:58Pm

Army chief defends Marcelino in drug case By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) | Updated January 24, 2016 - 5:58pm

MANILA, Philippines - Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año does not believe that his former subordinate, Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, is part of a drug syndicate, saying that the arrested military officer was really serious in fighting illegal drugs. Año said Marcelino has a crusade against illegal drugs and is angry with drug syndicates. “Based on how I know him, I will never doubt his integrity. He is really a fighter against drug syndicates,” the Army chief said in an interview on Sunday. “I don’t want to judge him based on what happened but based on what I know about him, I don’t believe he would be involved in any drug trafficking case or organization or syndicate,” he added. Año, however, clarified that it would be difficult to comment on the actual incidents leading to Marcelino’s arrest. He noted that cases are being readied in connection with the raid. “I do not know the details. I can only vouch for the character, personality and integrity of Lt. Col. Marcelino based on our working relationship when he was still under me,” he said. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Marcelino was commander of the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) 4 when Año was chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). The Marine officer was detailed at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency when it was headed by former Armed Forces chief Dionisio Santiago. “When he (Marcelino) was the MIG 4 commander, he had a good performance,” Año said, adding that Marcelino was then working against organized crimes in support of law enforcement agencies. Marcelino and Chinese national Yan Yi Shou were nabbed last Thursday in a raid on a suspected shabu laboratory in Manila. Authorities seized some 76 kilos of illegal drugs worth P383 million during the operation. The Marine officer is now facing charges for allegedly manufacturing, conspiring to manufacture, and possessing illegal drugs. Marcelino is claiming that he was on a covert mission with the ISAFP when he was arrested and that he had nothing to do with the drug syndicate. Año, however, noted that the mission order he had issued to Marcelino lapsed two years ago. Marcelino was Superintendent of the Navy Officer Candidate School when the raid happened. PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr., however, has doubts on Marcelino’s claim and is wondering how a person tasked to conduct surveillance can be arrested inside a clandestine laboratory. Marcelino was superintendent of the Naval Officer Candidate School when the raid happened. Año, however, thinks that Marcelino’s relief from ISAFP will not necessarily stop him from continuing his anti-drug advocacy. “He now belongs to another unit but it won’t stop him from his crusade of getting information against drug syndicates. You know, every citizen of the republic has the obligation and duty to help curb crime and fight crime,” the Army chief said. Año said even after his stint as ISAFP chief, Marcelino was still providing information to Army units and intelligence units. He said Marcelino’s information made possible the raid of the Philippines’ biggest shabu laboratory in Camiling, Tarlac in November 2014. When asked if Marcelino’s arrest was a case of miscommunication, Año replied: “It’s possible. If that’s the case, it will come out in the PDEA’s investigation. It is very simple to cross check that.” Navy spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said Marcelino would be the best person to answer questions about his supposed mission order that prodded him to go to the drug laboratory. “They are asking me whether it was job-related. I was telling them if you are going to look at the designation or position he has now, which is superintendent of officer candidate school, you will see that they are not immediately related,” Arevalo said. “We’re not inclined and we don’t want to be perceived as prejudging him. That being an intelligence operation, there is what we call need to know basis, meaning only those who know about it will be informed. Now, who should be informed? It depends on the nature and magnitude of the intelligence operation,” he added. A classmate of Marcelino at the Philippine Military Academy class ’94, meanwhile, has urged the public not to cast judgments on the Marine officer until he is convicted. “For me, we should not judge the suspect, Lt. Col. Marcelino while he is undergoing the process of defending himself,” former Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said in a statement. “I know him personally as a patriot, upright and a true enemy of drug syndicates,” he added. Cabunoc said Marcelino was not lured by money and wealth during his stint at PDEA. “Let us allow Lt. Col. Marcelino to defend himself and clear his name,” he added.

Probers checking Marcelino bank records By Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 29, 2016 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines – The police anti-drug unit is now coordinating with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to check on the bank records of Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, the former anti-narcotics official arrested inside an illegal drug laboratory in Manila last week.

This developed as a bag seized from Marcelino during his arrest reportedly yielded about 13 pieces of bank deposit slips with amounts totaling P2.25 million. Authorities however did not reveal the name of the depository bank.

Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force chief Senior Supt. Antonio Gardiola said the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) is coordinating with the AMLC to look into the case of Marcelino regarding the bank receipts.

AIDG spokesman Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia added they have requested for a complete financial investigation on Marcelino to determine if there are money-laundering activities.

Merdegia said deposit slips under the name of Marcelino showed transactions made on May 26 with P500,000 followed by another deposit with P200,000 on June, 25, and a third deposit with P300,000 on July 31, all in 2014. Another deposit slip indicated P30,000 done on March 4, 2015.

“We also found P86, 000 cash from his bag, along with a handgun,” Merdegia said. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Merdegia added the arresting lawmen also seized from Marcelino $210, P2,510, 15 Australian dollars, 20 Hong Kong dollars and a SIM card for satellite phone.

Merdegia said another case would be filed against Marcelino for carrying a .45 automatic with expired license.

Merdegia said the AIDG has turned over to Marcelino’s lawyer all the seized items during the arrest. The Department of Justice approved Marcelino’s request to retrieve his belongings.

Merdegia said Marcelino’s cellular phone, which remained in their possession, would be subjected to forensic digital exam to get additional details. He said they have seen some of the messages, which could help bolster their case.

Marcelino maintained he was on a mission order when operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested him.

He blamed PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac for his arrest.

“Shortly after Marcelino was arrested, he claimed his presence there was part of a case operation plan. All along he was saying about coplan but we were surprised to learn that his affidavit now is blaming the PDEA director general. For us, he is not telling the truth. What he has been saying are purely alibi, denial which will not stand in court,” Merdegia said.

Marcelino’s counsel Dennis Manalo said it was simply a “misencounter” between his client and the arresting lawmen.

“True enough because of this misencounter there was a misappreciation of facts because of this unfortunate incident, our drug enforcement agencies clashed against each other,” he said.

Manalo said drug syndicates stand to benefit from the arrest of Marcelino with the anti-drug enforcement units fighting each other.

In his eight-page counter affidavit filed before the DOJ, Marcelino said the arresting lawmen should know the confidential nature of working undercover.

“To demand such from me is to ask for the impossible. The proper action would be to first verify with the inter-agencies involved in the anti-drug campaign of my status before accusing me of any irregularity,” Marcelino said. –Evelyn Macairan

Mission order stumps PDEA By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 24, 2016 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to clarify the claims of Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino that he has a mission order to conduct surveillance on a shabu laboratory in Manila where he was arrested on Thursday.

“I will ask for a copy,” PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said on Friday upon learning that Marcelino insisted he has a mission order during his inquest at the Department of Justice.

“I will ask the officer who signed the mission order, what is the nature of the job that was given to him?” Cacdac said.

Cacdac said it does not make sense for Marcelino to claim that he was conducting a surveillance of the shabu laboratory where he was arrested.

“How can a person who was tasked to conduct casing and surveillance be arrested incident a clandestine laboratory?” he remarked.

Marcelino was arrested Thursday in a raid on a suspected shabu laboratory in Manila. Along with Chinese national Yan Yi Shou, lawmen seized from them some 76 kilos of illegal drugs worth P383 million. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Citing information from operatives, Cacdac said Marcelino and Yan had a key to the property, which was covered by a search warrant and has been under surveillance.

Yan was supposedly a former asset of the PDEA, where Marcelino worked as chief of a special unit.

During his inquest, Marcelino claimed he was working on a mission order as part of the operation “Oplan Moses” of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

However, his former ISAFP boss and now Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año said a mission order that he issued to Marcelino had lapsed in 2014.

The Army’s Intelligence Service Group (ISG) has issued a certification signed by Col. Mario Guloy that Marcelino has been sharing intelligence information with the unit from November to December 2015 on illegal drug activities.

The current ISAFP chief, Maj. Gen. Arnold Quiapo, said Marcelino is no longer connected with his unit as he returned to the Navy following his assignment with military intellgence in 2014.

“It’s been a long time that he is not with us. Ask the Navy, because he is assigned at the Philippine Navy Officers’ Candidate School,” Quiapo said.

He said ISAFP does not have any information regarding Marcelino’s activities.

Malacañang also denied Marcelino’s claim that he was detailed with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“Ferdinand Marcelino is not and has never been an operative detailed to the PAOCC. Our records show no ongoing PAOCC operations involving Lt. Col. Marcelino,” said Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning.

Marcelino’s lawyer Dennis Manalo said they have submitted a certification from the Army’s Intelligence and Security Group showing that Marcelino is sharing intelligence information on alleged involvement of Army personnel in the illegal drug trade from September to December last year.

Manalo claimed Marcelino’s arrest was a “misencounter.” Former PDEA director and former AFP chief Dionisio Santiago, for his part, defended Marcelino, saying the Marine officer has been working in the shadows against big drug syndicates operating in the country.

He did not deny that Marcelino was one of his trusted operatives while he was PDEA chief, describing him as a seasoned drug operative, and that if needed he would go underground.

“He is not the kind of officer who will just rely on reports coming from action agents. He himself will do the confirmation and verification, and most of the time he would just surprise me with search warrants,” Santiago said.

He added that he recruited Marcelino to join PDEA because he knew he is an upright officer.

Fearing for Marcelino’s safety, Santiago said that the arrested Marine officer should be kept in a well secured jail facility, saying that with what happened, it is clear that somebody out there wants to silence him. Rogue

Cacdac reiterated an earlier statement from AFP chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri who reportedly told Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento that he has not authorized Marcelino to conduct anti-drug operations.

Cacdac said that if Iriberri specifically said that it was prohibited, why was he still given the supposed order?

“Somebody will be charged with insubordination,” he said.

Cacdac said Marcelino is no longer connected with the Army as he is already detailed with the Philippine Navy.

Cacdac noted the lack of coordination with PDEA, which he said is an administrative requirement for such kind of operation.

He stressed the need for coordination to prevent misencounters.

Cacdac said the PDEA did not receive any intelligence from the AFP regarding the laboratory when they were building up the case.

A police official, on the other hand, said they might have to conduct a lifestyle check on Marcelino.

An official said the lifestyle check could help investigators gather more information about Marcelino, who served as head of PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service.

“A lifestyle check is part of the full blown investigation,” the source told The STAR. The official, however, refused to go into detail on how investigators will go about the lifestyle check.

The source said investigators could check some of Marcelino’s bank accounts as a start.

Aside from lifestyle check, another source said Marcelino would have to present proof that he was working undercover.

“He cannot just claim he is on a mission. He has to satisfy all the aspects of surveillance operations and progress report on his cases,” one police official pointed out.

The same official said Marcelino cannot just make up a story on his mission since agents of PDEA and the police Anti-Illegal Drug Group are trained to sniff out illegal drug operations.

The operation that led to the arrest of Marcelino was an offshoot of a raid in Barangay Lawang Bato, Valenzuela City early this month, during which two suspected Chinese drug suppliers were arrested.

Some of the PDEA agents were reportedly confused about the presence of Marcelino at the townhouse and even thought he was with the operatives. As the raiders were documenting evidence inside the townhouse, Cacdac arrived and reportedly blew his top when informed by PDEA agents of Marcelino’s presence inside the raided unit.

The PDEA chief reportedly gave Marcelino a tongue lashing and ordered his arrest.

Both Cacdac and Marcelino are graduates of the Philippine Military Academy. Cacdac graduated at the PMA in 1978 while Marcelino belonged to PMA Class 1994.

Cacdac advised Marcelino to get a good lawyer. – Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Marvin Sy

Army certifies Marcelino as part of its intelligence network By: Perfecto T. Raymundo, Philippines News Agency January 26, 2016 7:11 AM

MANILA - The Philippine Army tells the Department of Justice (DOJ) that Lt. Col. Ferdinand L. Marcelino, an official of the Philippine Marines and a former official of the Special Enforcement Services of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), is part of the Army's Intelligence and Security Group.

Marcelino was arrested in a drug bust operation in Sta. Cruz, Manila last week.

The DOJ on Monday received a certification, dated 22 January 2016, from the Army's (PA) Intelligence and Security Group signed by Col. Marlo Guloy.

The certification states that Marcelino was part of the intelligence information in the Intelligence and Security Group of the Philippine Army from November 2015 to December this year in connection with the suspected members of the Philippine Army, who were involved in the use of illegal drugs and other activities involving illegal drugs.

It added that it was pursuant to the directive of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Task Force Moses and the Philippine Army Task Group Midas.

Marcelino last Friday asked for a preliminary investigation of his case to give him the opportunity to submit a counter-affidavit and pieces of evidence to prove that his presence in the said laboratory of illegal drugs in Sta. Cruz, Manila was a legitimate operation.

Marcelino was arrested by the combined forces of the PDEA and the Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP- AIDG) on site at the illegal drugs laboratory.

AIDG na humuli kay Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, suportado ng pamunuan ng PNP Published on: Monday - February 1st, 2016

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Hayagan ang pagsuporta ng ilang kaklase at ilang opisyal ng Armed Forces of the Philippines kay Lt.Col. Ferdinand Marcelino matapos na naaresto ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng Philippine National Police-Anti-llegal Drugs Groups (PNP-AIDG) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sa shabu lab sa Sta. Cruz, Manila noong January 21.

Suportado naman ni PNP Chief PDG Ricardo Marquez ang mga tauhan ng PNP-AIDG na humuli kay Marcelino.

Ayon kay Gen. Marquez, ginawa lamang ng mga ito ang kanilang trabaho hinggil sa kanilang kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga.

“For the longest time AIDSOTF (Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force) before and now AIDG has been very very transparent in its demeanor as one of the performing anti-drug unit in the country,” ani PDG Marquez.

Sinabi pa nito na hindi matatawaran ang kredibilidad ng mga tauhan ng AIDG at subok na ito sa paghuli ng mga bigtime drug lord.

Dagdag pa ng heneral na tiwala siya sa AIDG dahil suportado naman ng mga ebidensya ang reklamong isinampa ng mga ito laban kay Marcelino lalo na’t nakita ito sa loob ng shabu laboratory. “Kung ano man ang nangyari that time na nahuli siya ay maliwanag na sumusunod lamang yung mga tauhan namin sa AIDG kung ano ang nakita at narecover nila, wala naman tayong nakitang pagmamalabis sa mga tao sa AIDG, the right of Col. Marcelino has not violated,” anang hepe ng Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas.

Ang kailangan na lamang aniyang gawin ng kampo ni Marcelino ay sagutin ang mga reklamo laban sa kanya at patunayang wala siyang kinalaman sa operasyon ng shabu lab.

Nitong Linggo, sinabi nang nagpakilalang spokesperson ni Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino na si Ret. Maj. Vonne Villanueva na confidential financial fund para sa special operations ang 13 deposit slip na nakuha sa bag ni Marcelino na nagkakahalaga ng 2.250 million pesos.

“My Mistah, Lt.Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, categorically denies the insinuations by PNP-AIDG that he is profiting from illegal drugs trade. The bank transactions that PNP-AIDG presented were meant to discredit Lt. Col. Marcelino. The bank receipt and AFP passbooks were kept as part of his personal financial records and his confidential operational fund records when he was still with ISAFP. I would not discuss the details in public due to its sensitive nature and the fact that they have not filed another case against him related to these bank deposits. Lt. Col. Marcelino is willing to sign a waiver for Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for the sake of transparency and in compliance with the law praying that his accusers will do the same,” saad sa text message ni Ret. Maj. Vonne Villanueva.

Itinanggi naman ng pinuno ng Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines o ISAFP na si BGen. Arnold Quiapo na alam niya ang confidential financial fund na binabanggit ng tagapagsalita ni Marcelino.

Dagdag pa ni Chief PNP, ang pagkakahuli kay Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino at sa Chinese national na si Yan Yi Shou ay isang malaking karangalan sa PNP-AIDG at PDEA dahil pagpapakita ito na walang kinikilingan ang pagpapatupad nila ng batas maging isa mang mataas na opisyal ng AFP. (LEA YLAGAN / UNTV News)

Marcelino one of our spies – Army by JOEL M. SY EGCO, SENIOR REPORTER AND FERNAN MARASIGAN, REPORTER January 26, 2016 11:06 pm

THE Philippine Army has issued a certification stating that Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino has been feeding information to the Army’s Intelligence Service Group (ISG) in relation to an ongoing anti-drug project of the military, Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano, Army commander confirmed on Tuesday.

“The certification stated that he was giving information, sharing information [with] our Army intelligence regarding the effort in identifying if there is any soldier taking drugs or any soldiers who might be involved in trafficking,” Ano said.

He explained that the ongoing anti-drug project of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was contained under Oplan Moses of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) and the AFP-wide Oplan Midas.

“So because of Marcelino’s extensive network and his experiences, he was sharing information from time to time [with] different intelligence agencies that include the Army intelligence and security group, that was part of the certification,” Ano pointed out.

The certification, according to him, was issued by the ISG upon request of Marcelino’s lawyer.

The Army commander said the certification might help Marcelino to establish that he has official efforts against the anti-drug campaign.

“But even if he has no official effort, he has personal effort to continue his crusade against drug syndicates. So it would [also] help that he took it [crusade] as his conviction and personal [undertaking] to fight the drug syndicates,” he added.

When pressed if this would help the embattled Marine officer to justify his presence in a large clandestine shabu laboratory at a townhouse along Felix Huertas and Batangas streets in Manila, Ano said this is already a legal matter.

“[By this time, they should have established if Marcelino is really involved in drug trafficking. By this time they should have already gotten indicators and collaborating information that will support their accusation because it would be very easy to check the bank account, the lifestyle, check his cellphone and other information coming from other sources and the database of the drug syndicates under watch],” he added.

During his stint at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Marcelino, according to Ano, has been giving the AFP information on drug operation.

Even when he left the agency and was assigned to ISAFP, he said, the Marine officer continued to provide information to the military.

A former chief of the PDEA also on Tuesday heaped praises on Marcelino, describing the intelligence officer as a “high risk taker” who took spy jobs where he was considered “expandable” or “dispensable.”

Retired AFP chief Gen. Dionisio Santiago, in an interview, said drug lords even wanted Marcelino dead for his successful anti- drug operations in the past.

“He busted many big time drug syndicates and caused a very huge dent on the illegal drugs business here. He was hated by drug traffickers and even some anti-drug agency officials whose toes he had stepped on along the way,” Santiago told The Manila Times.

Reports indicated that a daughter of Marcelino had been targeted for kidnapping in the past in a bid to keep him away.

Santiago said he still finds it hard to believe that Marcelino, who worked under him when he was PDEA director general, was himself involved in the illegal drugs trade, citing the Marine officer’s simple lifestyle.

He added that he believes that Marcelino drew the ire of other anti-drug officials for passing on big-time drug operations to other agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“He [Marcelino] is a hands-on spook. He only gives A1 information, no less. He verifies information himself and does not leave anything to simple guesswork,” Santiago said.

He added that he believes that “professional jealousy” may have led some government officials to take offense for being “repeatedly bypassed” by Marcelino.

For one, he surmised that a top PDEA official held a grudge against Marcelino because the latter was instrumental in the NBI raid on a “mega-laboratory” of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in Camiling, Tarlac, in November 2014.

The raid yielded P2 billion worth of illegal drugs, plus equipment, and led to the arrest of seven Chinese drug suspects.

“Imagine that. Tarlac is the home province of the President [Benigno Aquino 3rd] and do you know where the sitting PDEA chief is from? Marcelino may have drawn their ire for busting a syndicate operating under their noses,” Santiago said.

The former military general stopped short of naming PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. as among those who may have an ax to grind against the Marine officer.

Santiago likened the incident to a blockbuster spy movie wherein the “antagonist turns out to be the protagonist in the end” and vice versa.

“This is among the risks that those in the intelligence community usually face. Like Marcelino, many operatives take on jobs that are not put in black and white, rendering them expendable or dispensable. It’s like when you’re caught, you’re on your own. That’s how dangerously they perform their tasks,” he said.

With Marcelino’s arrest, according to Santiago, the illegal drug racket is rejoicing.

The same is true, he said, with anti-drug officials who considered him a rival. “They succeeded in vilifying and discrediting him. On that aspect, they have succeeded. But the public must reserve judgment and weigh all the facts with circumspection,” Santiago added.

Marcelino camp denies profiting from illegal drug trade by Philippine News Agency February 1, 2016

The camp of beleaguered Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, who was implicated in a Php320-million drug-bust in January, vehemently denied allegations that the former is profiting from the illegal drugs trade.

“My mistah, (Marcelino), categorically denies the insinuations by PNP-AIDG (Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drugs Group) that he is profiting from illegal drugs trade,” retired Major Vonne Villanueva, spokesperson of the embattled Marine, said.

Mistah means classmate in Philippine Military Academy (PMA) parlance.

Marcelino is a member of the PMA Class of 1994.

He added that bank transactions that PNP-AIDG presented were meant to discredit Marcelino.

“The bank receipt and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) passbooks were kept as part of his personal financial records and his confidential operational fund records when he was still with ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the AFP). I would not discuss the details in public due to its sensitive nature and the fact that they have not filed another case against him related to these bank deposits,” Villanueva stressed.

Marcelino and 33-year-old Chinese national Yan Yi Shou was arrested by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents at Felix Huertas corner Batangas Streets in Sta. Cruz, Manila last Jan. 21.

Around 64 kilograms of “shabu” worth Php320 million were seized.

“Lt. Col. Marcelino is willing to sign a waiver for AMLC for the sake of transparency and in compliance with the law praying that his accusers will do the same,” he added.

Marcelino cites PDEA chief’s ‘animosity’ behind drug charges By Vince Alvic A. F. Nonato, Reporter Posted on January 27, 2016 09:56:00 PM

In an eight-page counter-affidavit submitted to the Department of Justice, Mr. Marcelino described the drug-related charges as simply being borne out of mere “malicious imputations.” He reiterated that he was on a covert operation at the Sta. Cruz, Manila, laboratory when the raid occurred.

He pinned the blame on Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director-General Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr., saying his arrest was “borne solely” from his “animosity” towards him.

Mr. Marcelino, a military officer who formerly served PDEA, said Mr. Cacdac was “irate at my continued involvement” in the government’s anti-drug campaign. “Maybe he detests my criticism that despite the ever increasing budget of the PDEA, which is now close to a billion, 95% of the Philippines remains infested with illegal drugs,” he said.

He recounted that Mr. Cacdac presented him as a suspect to the media without making any effort to coordinate with the “various inter-agencies availing [themselves of] my undercover services.”

Mr. Marcelino also said the PDEA’s allegations do not establish factual circumstances to sustain the charges for violating Sections 8 (manufacture), 26 (d) (conspiracy), and 11 (possession) of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He said the criminal complaint was anchored only on his “mere passive presence” in the premises, noting the inquest referral only alleged that he was found “seated at the sofa/couch at the living room.”

While refuting this and saying he was actually standing by the entrance of the unit, Mr. Marcelino said that “I have neither done nor was I doing any illegal act at the time of my arrest.” He also warned that this incident may cause a chilling effect on undercover operations similar to what he claims he’s doing.

“If the imputation of ill motive against me is complainant’s only means of implicating me, then that would discourage military intelligence officers like me from conducting anti-drug operations,” the counter-affidavit read. “This would spell the defeat of dutiful vigilance in protecting our citizenry from powerful drug syndicates.”

He also expressed his intention to pursue legal action “against those who have violated my right to be presumed innocent and my human rights by subjecting me to unwanted publicity...”

Besides filing his counter-affidavit, Mr. Marcelino also petitioned the DoJ to allow him to post bail pending preliminary investigation of the case. He also filed motions seeking his transfer to the Philippine National Police or National Bureau of Investigation custodial facilities, and the release of his personal belongings.

Meanwhile, his co-accused Yan Yi Shou was given a deadline extension, allowing him to rebut the charges until Feb. 3. The PDEA was also allowed to reply to Mr. Marcelino’s counter-affidavit by Feb. 3.

During the Wednesday preliminary investigation setting, supporters from an indigenous community in Quezon and an urban poor group from Navotas held a rally at the DoJ in a show of support.

The drug bust occurred early Thursday morning at No. 15, Block 17, Lot 6 Mahogany Street, Celadon Residences, Felix Huertas Road, Barangay 350 Zone 35, Manila. Authorities confiscated 76,697.7 grams of shabu worth over P380 million.

As a former PDEA official, Mr. Marcelino was known for leading high-profile stings and arrests. He was credited for capturing the so-called Alabang Boys and later accused DoJ prosecutors of receiving P50 million in bribes when the case was dismissed for lack of probable cause.

PerryScope: Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino: A Living Hero by Perry Diaz January 13, 2009 | PerryScope

It takes a great deal of courage and integrity for a soldier to resist a P20-million bribe. But that’s what Marine Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino did. First, he was offered a P3-million bribe to release the “Alabang Boys” from detention. He rejected it. Then the offer was increased to P20 million. He turned it down again. When he heard that a state prosecutor was offered a P50-million bribe to drop the case against the “Alabang Boys,” Marcelino decided to expose the bribery attempts.

Little did Marcelino realize that what he did would catapult him to fame. He won the admiration of the Filipino people for his honesty, integrity and incorruptibility.

His honesty was tested last May 2008 when his older brother Eddie was hospitalized for a life-threatening ailment. His family needed P80,000 to pay for the operation to save his brother’s life. They asked Ferdinand for help but he didn’t have the money. He could easily have gotten some “dirty money” from people who would willingly give him more than he needed in exchange for “favors.” But he didn’t do it. He told his family that he couldn’t produce the money needed to save his brother’s life.

The eleventh of 13 children of a modest family from Hagonoy, Bulacan, Ferdinand graduated valedictorian in elementary school and completed high school through a scholarship. He couldn’t afford to go to college so he took various odd jobs to support himself.

He found an opportunity to enter college for free by applying for a job with the college publication at the University of the East. He was hired as a reporter. He also got a second job as a police beat reporter for Headline Manila. It was at that job that a rare opportunity presented itself. When he went to interview the Commandant of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) who will be featured in the newspaper, somebody handed him an application form for entrance to PMA as a cadet. He applied and was accepted.

He graduated in the PMA Class of 1994 and was commissioned as a Marine officer. He was immediately sent to war in the jungles of Basilan to fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorists as an intelligence officer. He excelled in gathering intelligence and was credited for the capture of Commander Abu Sabaya who masterminded the celebrated kidnapping of 20 tourists at the Dos Palmas resort in 2001.

Interestingly, the PMA Class of 1994 produced rebellious — but idealistic — officers, some of whom have banded together under the name of Magdalo. It is no wonder then that his former classmates tried to recruit him into joining Magdalo. He resisted and said, “No.” In July 2003, the Magdalo mutinied against the Arroyo government. They failed and were captured and detained.

When retired Gen. Dionisio Santiago, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, took over as Director General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in 2006, he convinced Marcelino to transfer to PDEA. When asked why he recruited Marcelino, he said that Marcelino is incorruptible and can be trusted. He predicted that he’ll do good at the agency.

One of Marcelino’s first assignments at PDEA was to investigate the case of the missing seven kilos of “shabu” which were kept as evidence in the PDEA storage area. Marcelino teamed up with another agent, Maj. Valentino Lopez, and together they solved the case. They identified the masterminds: two police colonels and a police major!

The duo’s next investigation resulted in the discovery of a clandestine “shabu” laboratory in Calumpit, Bulacan operated by Chinese drug lords. Consequently, Marcelino was appointed to head PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service (SES). As Santiago had predicted before, Marcelino was really doing good at the agency.

On September 20, 2008, Marcelino and his SES team arrested Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson in a buy-bust sting operation in Quezon City and Ayala Alabang. It turned out that the suspects were scions of rich and well-connected families, one of which was believed to be related to a powerful official in Malacanang. Hence, the suspects were called the “Alabang Boys.”

The case turned into big scandal that threatened the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ). During a congressional hearing, it was revealed that on December 23, 2008, Felisberto Verano Jr., lawyer of one of the “Alabang Boys” drafted a release order for the “Alabang Boys” using official DOJ stationery and, surprisingly, it easily got through to Secretary Raul Gonzalez for his signature. Although Gonzalez balked at signing the release order, questions were raised as to what made it possible for Verano to get the release order to Gonzalez without being scrutinized and authenticated by his underlings.

In an act of damage control, President Arroyo ordered the indefinite leave of absence of Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, and State Prosecutors Philip Kimpo, Misael Ladaga, and John Resado. It was Resado who dismissed the case and whom PDEA has alleged to have received the P50-million bribe. According to Santiago, PDEA had a “strong, tight case” against the “Alabang Boys” yet the case was junked for “lack of probable cause.” Huh! The “Alabang Boys” were caught in a buy-bust operation! Isn’t that enough to establish probable cause?

It is interesting to note that in May 2008, President Arroyo pardoned 18 Magdalo rebels and were subsequently appointed PDEA agents. Santiago assigned the pardoned rebels to Marcelino’s SES.

It must have been fate that brought Marcelino and the Magdalo rebels together at PDEA. Indeed, out of a staff of 900 at PDEA, these few good men could turn the agency around and make it a strong force in the war on drug trafficking.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a retired general, said that he would recommend Marcelino for the Distinguished Service Star, the highest non-combat award to a soldier. However, Marcelino’s bright and shining star has already earned its place in the sky. He is a living hero.

Domondon: The weird case of Ex-PDEA officer and Marine Lt. Col. Marcelino By Briccio Cesar Domondon Jr. Wednesday, February 03, 2016

ALLEGATIONS of a conspiracy to destroy his reputation as a top drug buster seems to be the only remaining defense being raised by former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Special Enforcement Services Officer and Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino in his attempt to explicate the reason for his presence and subsequent arrest at a shabu laboratory in a townhouse on Felix Huertas Street in Sampaloc, Manila late last month. As far as his reputation as a drug buster is concerned, his former boss ex-PDEA Chief Dionisio Santiago was all praises in telling the media how Marcelino campaigned aggressively, often times taking a hands on approach, in combating illegal drugs in the country and achieving as a feather on his cap the celebrated arrest of the so called “Alabang Boys”.

Santiago went on further to vouch for Marcelino’s integrity as a fierce anti-drugs crusader but nevertheless admitted that the latter should be jailed if found guilty of involvement in the drug trade.

The weird part in Marcelino’s case is why the heck was he inside the townhouse cum shabu laboratory when elements of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG) along with members of the PDEA swooped down in the conduct of their surprise raid of the place.

From a layman’s point of view isn’t it tactically safer and strategically better for an intelligence operative to conduct his surveillance and verification of a suspected drug den from a farther vantage point - say from a curtained window of an adjacent townhouse that provides a clear view of the shabu laboratory - than being in the exact place and premises where the drug den was located?

What is weirder is that Marcelino along with a Chinese national who is reported to be a former interpreter for the PDEA was able to gain entrance to the townhouse cum shabu laboratory using a key to the front door.

If Colonel Marcelino was indeed conducting his own personal surveillance of the said drug laboratory and was acting as a lone wolf in his campaign to combat illegal drugs he would have, as dictated by normal human behavior, had to have been more careful and stealthy in going about taking a peek or monitoring the place.

Knowing that it was a clandestine drug laboratory and probably having armed men inside to protect the drugs manufactured Colonel Marcelino should have at the very least approach the place will all customary caution as an experienced PDEA officer and military man.

But no, it would appear as if he just walked to the front door along with his Chinese national asset and using a key went inside the townhouse as if they owned the place. What is doubly weird is that Colonel Marcelino never disputed the claims of the PNP- AIDG that they were surprised that he was inside the townhouse when they conducted the raid. His only defense then was to claim that he was there to verify that there was a drug laboratory, that he was under orders from higher ups, and that someone was out to get him and destroy his reputation as a drug buster.

The question that comes to mind is how can a celebrated top former officer of the PDEA and a Marine intelligence officer at that, with all of his knowledge on surveillance operations, be foolhardy enough to just enter a suspected drug laboratory without benefit of a back-up or at least some form of protection other than perhaps his belief that no one in the drug syndicate community knows him, and that he has the key to the place.

Another question that has to be asked is if the claim of Colonel Marcelino is true that someone is really out to destroy his reputation as a drug buster as well as his advocacy against the drug trade, would it not have been more logical and practical for him, as an added precaution, to have conducted his verification in some other way or means other than going right into the suspected clandestine drug laboratory?

Indeed, if there is any truth to his claim that there is a plot to destroy his reputation as a fierce advocate and aggressive campaigner against illegal drugs, Col. Marcelino can only blame himself for committing the error of being at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

What a tragic and unfortunate turn of events to a famous and storied career in the never ending fight against the menace of illegal drugs in the country.

Marcelino presents Army certification during inquest By: Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 03:57 AM January 23rd, 2016

“I will never betray my country,” former drug buster Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino declared on Friday, a day after he was arrested during a drug raid in Manila that yielded P320 million worth of high-grade “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride). Although handcuffed, Marcelino, a former head of the Special Enforcement Service of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), raised his fists defiantly, insisting he was on a mission when police and his former colleagues pounced on him and his Chinese companion in an apartment in Sta. Cruz district that turned out to be a clandestine drug laboratory.

“This is the price I have to pay for doing my job for this country. Rest assured that I will never betray this nation,” Marcelino, an officer in the Marines, told reporters as he left the Department of Justice, where he was taken yesterday morning for investigation.

“This is also the price I have to pay for being passionate and for my love to rid this country of illegal drugs. I’m just doing my job. The truth will prevail,” said the former top antinarcotics agent, surrounded by police and PDEA officers.

Inquest proceedings

Dressed in an orange detainee’s shirt and wearing slippers, Marcelino underwent six-hour inquest proceedings before Senior State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva.

He sat beside Yan Yi Shou, a Chinese citizen who was arrested with him during the raid on Celadon Residence apartment block at Felix Huertas and Batangas early on Thursday. Yan is a former interpreter for the PDEA.

The two are facing no-bail charges for manufacturing, conspiring to manufacture and possession of illegal drugs.

Police and PDEA agents seized 64 kilos of shabu (also known as crystal meth), chemicals and equipment for making the illegal drug in the Sta. Cruz apartment.

During the proceedings, Villanueva told Marcelino that he could be readily released if he could show an order authorizing his presence at the drug laboratory. Such an order would prove that he was there on an official mission.

It took hours for Marcelino to obtain a certification from the Philippine Army’s Intelligence Security Group that he was indeed working as an intelligence agent for the military.

The certification, signed by Col. Marlo Guloy, the group commander, and sent to the inquest prosecutor just before 5 p.m., said Marcelino “has shared intelligence information to this unit from November to December 2015 with regard to suspected Philippine Army personnel engaged in the use of drugs and other illegal drug activities.”

Marcelino was given the task as part of the military’s efforts to stamp out drug use among soldiers through mandatory random drug testing.

‘Immaterial’

But Chief Insp. Roque Merdegia, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP-AIDG), said the Army certification was “immaterial.”

“It did not categorically [say] that he was authorized to operate [in Manila],” Merdegia said.

Villanueva said the document was too broad, and he wanted a more explicit certification. Marcelino agreed to remain detained while undergoing preliminary investigation.

Villanueva set the first hearing for Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.

Later, in an interview, Marcelino expressed confidence that he could obtain a certification from the military.

“It’s not that it (the certification filed) was not honored. The [prosecutor] just requested [a more detailed one] until Wednesday. But that’s OK,” he said.

Pressed if an order indeed exists, Marcelino said: “I have nothing to hide. Although there are some confidential papers, you know how it is.” Earlier in the day, Marcelino’s lawyer, Dennis Manalo, said the document would “come from the military officer who will be authorized for this purpose.”

“Right now he’s in the process of providing documentation as to his status as a military intelligence [agent],” Manalo told reporters.

‘Misencounter’

“This is clearly a misencounter on the part of the agents of the PDEA and on the part of his efforts to help in curbing illegal drugs in the country,” he said.

Reached by phone, Marcelino’s former PDEA boss, retired Gen. Dionisio Santiago, vouched for his former top agent’s honesty.

“I can vouch for him. [On] my watch, I knew that he was upright. There were situations when he [needed] money to help his family, but he never asked help from us,” said Santiago, recalling family emergencies when Marcelino refused to seek financial aid from the PDEA.

“I remember him once saying “I am handling a lot of funds (for PDEA operations) but that’s not my money. That’s [public] money,” Santiago said.

He said he did not believe Marcelino could be corrupted. “If during the time he needed money he did not do anything illegal, how much more now that he is in no condition to require so much money,” he said.

No mission for the Army

Senior Supt. Antonio Gardiola Jr., PNP-AIDG head, said Marcelino cited a “statement of support” from Maj. Gen. Eduardo Año, chief of the Philippine Army, during the inquest.

Gardiola said the statement did not amount to a mission order.

Sent to reporters by text message, the statement said Año “vouched for [Marcelino’s] integrity.”

Año said, however, that his “official relationship” with Marcelino ended when he left the military intelligence service in 2013.

He said the Army would cooperate in the investigation of Marcelino.

He’s with the Navy

Col. Benjamin Hao, spokesperson for the Army, said it was unlikely Año signed a mission order for Marcelino, as Marcelino was now assigned to the Philippine Navy, not the Army.

Marcelino is superintendent at the Navy Officer Candidate School. He took the job only on Monday.

The Philippine Navy said on Thursday that Marcelino’s job did not involve drug operations.

Marcelino cannot turn to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) for a mission order. The PAOCC said yesterday that Marcelino had never been one of its agents.

“Our records likewise show that no ongoing PAOCC operations involve Lieutenant Colonel Marcelino,” Gen. Reginald Villasanta, PAOCC executive director, said in a statement released by Malacañang. With reports from Jaymee T. Gamil and Nikko Dizon

Some deposit slips with Marcelino are intel funds—spox By: Frances Mangosing INQUIRER.net 03:19 PM February 1st, 2016 The bank deposit slips amounting to P2.25 million that were seized from former narcotics agent Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino were mostly intelligence funds, a spokesperson said on Monday.

“Lahat yang deposit slips pwede i-verify — some of it are personal, some are intelligence funds,” said retired Army Major Vonne Villanueva, Marcelino’s spokesperson and a former classmate at Philippine Military Academy Class of 1994.

Some of the deposit slips were dated back in 2014, when Marcelino was with the Military Intelligence Group (MIG)-4 in Southern Luzon.

The Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) seized 13 pieces of bank deposit slips when Marcelino was arrested in an illegal drug laboratory last month.

The AIDG said they have coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to check on the financial transactions of Marcelino.

“Binalik sa amin ang deposit slips. Wala rin silang mapaggamitan,” Villanueva said.

He added that Marcelino is willing to sign a waiver for AMLC to check on his bank records for transparency.

Marcelino, a top drug buster in the mid-2000s, was arrested by authorities last Jan. 21 in an illegal drug laboratory in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

He insists that he was doing a legitimate intelligence operation at the time of the arrest. At that time, he was the newly assigned superintendent of the Naval Officer Candidate School at the Naval Education Training Command in Zambales.

Marcelino’s friends and colleagues are not convinced of the insinuations that the former drug buster has joined the illegal drug trade.

Lawyer: Drug syndicates once kidnapped Marcelino’s daughter By: Frances Mangosing INQUIRER.net 04:29 PM January 25th, 2016

Ferdinand Marcelino

Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, (center) the former director of the Special Enforcement Services of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was arrested by operatives of PDEA and the Philippine National Police at Felix Huertas corner Batangas streets in Sta. Cruz, Manila, January 21, 2016, in a drug bust operation Thursday which yielded P320 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (“shabu”). NINO JESUS ORBETA

Now it can be told.

Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino’s daughter was once kidnapped by drug syndicates in order to get back at him, according to the lawyer of the Marine officer who was arrested during a raid of a shabu laboratory in Manila last week.

“Drug syndicates have gone to the extent of kidnapping his daughter. This is something known in the drug enforcement community. But hindi ito pinag-uusapan (this is not being talked about) that’s why nobody believes it,” Atty. Dennis Manalo revealed in an interview over television program ANC Headstart on Monday.

Manalo said he was at first hesitant to share the information on live television.

“It’s just too painful, too traumatic. I myself have been thinking whether I should disclose it,” he said.

The fate of Marcelino’s family had been an ongoing talk in military circles but nobody would confirm it on record due to the sensitivity of the issue. This could be the reason why he has that intense “personal crusade” against drugs, said one military officer, a mistah of Marcelino from the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1994, who asked not to be named.

Reports circulated in 2009 that a daughter of an anti-narcotics agent from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency had been kidnapped and raped. The agent was not identified for the protection of his family.

But PDEA later denied the reports, saying that the agent only panicked when his daughter went missing.

Combined operatives from the PDEA and the Philippine National Police were surprised to find Marcelino, who has led several high-profile anti-drug missions, in a drug bust operation last Thursday.

‘Do a lifestyle check’

Marcelino was arrested with Chinese national Yan Yi Shou, allegedly one of his trusted tipsters in PDEA.

Asked how the alleged tipster could have gained access to the drug laboratory, Manalo said: “The tipster had access because he had known people in Ongpin who are connected with (people) who have information who knows his activities…Obviously he was able to penetrate and get the trust and confidence of people operating the shabu laboratory. That’s what a drug informant is supposed to do.”

The counsel said that Marcelino does not doubt his tipster, known as Randy, who has worked with him in the past.

“If Colonel Marcelino and his tipster were about to do an illegal activity, why would they even register in the guardhouse before entering the facility? Wouldn’t they want it to enter also without being recorded? But as soon as they entered, they were subjected to the routine check of the guardhouse. The guard obtained their identification. It was logged in the record,” he said.

Manalo also dared authorities to conduct a lifestyle check on Marcelino.

“You can check who Col. Marcelino is — his bank accounts, does it involve people in drug dealing? He is still as poor as a rat up to now,” he said. ASU

De Lima vouches for Marcelino’s integrity Posted by Leonard D. Postrado on Feb 3rd, 2016

Detained former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino has been a great asset in the anti-drug campaign of the government.

This was the revelation of former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima as she yesterday vouched for the integrity of Marcelino who was arrested last month in Manila by anti-drug operatives who raided an abandoned shabu laboratory.

In an interview aired over ANC’s Headstart, De Lima revealed that the big anti-drug raids conducted by the Department of Justice (DoJ), through its attached agency, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), were a result of the intelligence materials provided by the ex-PDEA official to her office when she was still the justice secretary.

She credited Marcelino for the intelligence information on the supposed lavish lifestyle of drug lords in the New Bilibid Prison and the biggest raid against a shabu laboratory in Camiling, Tarlac, where more than P3 billion worth of shabu were recovered.

“He shared with us material intelligence information. Ang pagkakakila ko sa kanya is he is a very passionate, staunch anti-drug crusader that’s why I am very surprised with what has happened,” she added.

But de Lima admitted that she could only vouch for the bemedaled Marine officer based on what she knew about his contribution to the government’s anti-drug effort during her time as DoJ chief.

“Insofar as what my personal knowledge, like what he did and his contributions, especially on those two major operations (Bilibid and Camiling raids) though the NBI said he also contributed in several other small operations. Remember even former ISAFP chief, General Eduardo Ano has also vouched for his integrity,” the former DoJ chief further said.

Marcelino was commander of the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) 4 when Año was chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

The Marine officer also headed the Special Enforcement Service of the PDEA when it was headed by former Armed Forces chief Dionisio Santiago.

Año said even after his stint as ISAFP chief, Marcelino was still providing information to Army units and intelligence units about the illegal drugs trade.

Earlier, De Lima said Marcelino is entitled to due process of law and that he should be given the benefit of the doubt as he clarifies his version of events during the preliminary investigation of his case.

The Marine officer insisted he was in the drug den at the Celadon Residences in Sta. Cruz, Manila, as part of a legitimate intelligence operation.

Lawyer admits Marcelino had no mission order Published January 25, 2016 3:14pm

Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino was gathering intelligence information on a drug syndicate when arrested by anti-narcotics agents in Manila last week, his lawyer said Monday.

Lawyer Dennis Manalo, who represents Marcelino, made the claim as he admitted that the Marine official did not have a mission order.

Manalo also claimed that the Chinese national arrested with Marcelino, Yan Yi Shou alias Randy, is a documented action agent or an informant of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Marcelino, a former head of the PDEA's Special Enforcement Service, and the Chinese national were arrested last Thursday during a joint raid by the PDEA and the Philippine National Police's Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force at a townhouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila, where at least 64 kilograms of shabu were seized.

Manalo insisted that Marcelino could not fit the character of a drug lord because his own daughters had been a kidnap victim of a drug syndicate and he has no money.

The lawyer declined to provide more details on Marcelino's claims.

Meanwhile, the preliminary investigation of Marcelino's case has been set on Wednesday, January 27, at 2 p.m.

During inquest proceedings on Friday, Marcelino submitted a certification from the Philippine Army Intelligence Service Group, which the military said had already lapsed.

Chief Inspector Mardegui, a part of the police's raiding team, told radio dzBB on Sunday that the certification indicated that Marcelino's mission was to provide information about soldiers hooked on drugs.

In an earlier interview with GMA News, former PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said that Marcelino being a drug lord is out of character.

Santiago had also revealed that the Chinese national arrested with Marcelino was an asset of the PDEA.

'Unquestionable dedication' Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said he believes Marcelino's "reputation will come out strong" during the course of the investigation.

"Let's give him the due process and let's allow this to take its due court before we judge the person," Padilla said.

He added that Marcelino's service reputation is "very credible" and his work ethic and dedication to duty was unquestionable.

Navy spokesperson Col. Edgardo Arevalo, meanwhile, said that the military cannot provide legal assistance to Marcelino.

Arevalo said the Philippine Navy's Standard Operating Procedure Number 2 that says legal assistance is provided only to personnel who are involved in cases in relation with the performance of their duties.

"Pending the determination by proper authorities as to the nature of the case LTC Marcelino is facing, the Navy cannot afford him LAA (Legal Assistance Attorney). In the event that if will later show that he is entitled to LAA, he has to ask for it. Under the Bill of Rights, the right to 'competent and independent counsel' is a matter of choice by the accused," the Navy spokesperson said. — ALG, GMA News

Marcelino should remain in police custody – PNP by Leonard Postrado February 10, 2016 (updated)

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has blocked the bid of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director, Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino for him to be detained either in the Philippine Navy (PN) or in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

During Wednesday’s preliminary investigation hearing on the former PDEA official’s drug case, the PNP insisted that the custody of Marcelino should remain, saying that allowing his transfer to a detention facility in either the PN and NBI will set a bad precedent to other erring government officials involved in drug cases.

In a letter to Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva, Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (PNP- AIDG) officer-in-charge Police Senior Supt. Manolo Ozaeta warned that granting Marcelino’s tranfer, will “open the ‘floodgate’ for requests coming from members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are languishing in jail.

“To avoid negative public perception that respondent LTC Marcelino enjoys special treatment while in detention, it is best to detain him pending preliminary investigation at the BJMP facility,” Ozaeta explained.

Ozaeta also rebutted the argument of Philippine Navy Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad, who invoked Executive Order 106, 1937 to justify the transfer of Marcelino from the BJMP facility.

Executive Order Nr. 106, s. 1937, which states that if a crime is committed by an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel or other law enforcement agencies, it is mandated that military offender should be delivered to the nearest AFP authorities.

Contrary to the statement of Taccad, Ozaeta said the EO is not applicable to Marcelino, who is a member of the Philippine Navy.

PDEA presses case vs former colleague By: Jaymee T. Gamil Philippine Daily Inquirer 06:19 AM February 6th, 2016

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) continues to cast doubts on Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino as it poked another hole in his claim that he was in a legitimate undercover operation when he was arrested in a suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory in Manila.

In a statement sent to the media yesterday, PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac said Marcelino and Chinese national Yan Yi Shou were allowed entry by the owner of the house in Barangay 350, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which was the subject of a drug-bust operation by the PDEA and the PNP on Jan. 21.

The operation yielded more than P300-million worth of shabu. Authorities were surprised to see Marcelino, head of the PDEA Special Enforcement Service in the mid-2000s, and Shou, during the raid.

Marcelino, newly appointed superintendent of the Navy Officer Candidate School when he was arrested, has yet to present a mission order.

Cacdac said that based on the testimonies of two security guards at the townhouse complex, Shou first tried to enter the compound at 1:24 a.m. but left after he was barred by the guards from entering because he had no permission from the tenant.

At 9:20 p.m. on the same day, one of the guards received a phone call from the house owner, identified as May Co, informing the guard to expect visitors aboard a Toyota Camry.

An hour after the call, the car arrived, driven by Shou, with Marcelino as passenger.

The guard said that when he requested Shou to open the car’s trunk for inspection, he saw four empty transparent plastic containers. He registered the driver’s name and the items inside the car’s trunk in the guard’s logbook.

“One thing is certain. Shou and Marcelino were allowed entry by Co to her unit. This alone establishes that the unit owner knew Shou and Marcelino,” Cacdac said.

It is not clear why Marcelino and Shou had a key to the unit.

Co and the Toyota Camry owner, identified as Hydee Uy, have been invited to the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group office to “shed light on the investigation.” But at press time, neither has shown up.

DOJ finalizes preliminary probe on Lt. Col. Marcelino’s drug case shaina / March 12, 2016

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized its preliminary investigation on the case of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) executive Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, who was arrested in an anti-illegal drugs raid last January.

In an article written by Mark Merueñas for GMA News Online, it was disclosed that the DOJ has submitted its findings for resolution after it received the rejoinder coming from Marcelino for the cases filed by the Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drug Group (PNP-AIDG) and the PDEA against the suspect.

Marcelino, who once headed the PDEA’s Special Enforcement Service, is a member of the Philippine Marine Corps assigned as the superintendent of the Naval Officer Candidate School in San Antonio, Zambales when he was arrested.

The military officer also claimed that he was working on a legitimate intelligence operation dubbed as “Oplan Moses”, which was allegedly sanctioned by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), despite not being part of the PDEA at the time of his arrest.

However, the Malacanang Palace has denied the claims of Marcelino; saying there is no ongoing PAOCC operation that involves the officer.

Last February, the PNP-AIDG filed additional cases against Marcelino after the police agency found out that the latter carried his personal firearm during the day of his arrest despite not possessing a gun ban exemption permit from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Moreover, the PNP also noted that the military officer’s permit to carry a personal firearm had already expired when he was arrested.

DOJ finalizes preliminary probe on Lt. Col. Marcelino’s drug case Posted on March 11, 2016 by Justin Umali The Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized its preliminary investigation on the case of former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) executive Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino, who was arrested in an anti-illegal drugs raid last January.

However, the Malacanang Palace has denied the claims of Marcelino; saying there is no ongoing PAOCC operation that involves the officer.

Moreover, the PNP also noted that the military officer’s permit to carry a personal firearm had already expired when he was arrested.