By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Former Police Col. Eduardo Acierto on Thursday (7 November 2024) accused former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of being a “protector” of suspected drug lords Michael Yang and Allan Lim, also known as Lin Weixiong.

In 2017, Acierto and his team compiled an intelligence report detailing the alleged involvement of Yang, who once served as Duterte’s economic adviser, and Lim in the illegal drug trade.

Testifying before the Quad Committee, Acierto stated that Yang and Lim were “close friends” of the former president, whom he shielded from accountability.

“Sigurado po ako dahil sa mga nangyari sa aking mga tauhan, prinotektahan niya si Michael Yang at si Allan Lim,” Acierto said during the interpellation by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., co-chair of the Quad Committee and chair of the House Committee on Human Rights.

Acierto referred to his subordinates, Police Capt. Lito Perote and MSgt. Gerry Liwanag.

Perote was abducted by armed men in bulletproof vests in Bacolod City in April 2019 and remains missing to this day. Acierto believes he may have been killed. Liwanag, on the other hand, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in San Jose del Monte City in February 2021.

In his intelligence report, Acierto claimed that Yang had operated drug laboratories in Mindanao since the early 2000s, including a clandestine shabu manufacturing facility in Dumoy, Davao City. This facility was raided by authorities on Dec. 31, 2004, yielding over 100 kilos of high-grade shabu with a street value exceeding P300 million.

According to a drug matrix prepared by Acierto’s team, Yang is a member of the Johnson Chua drug syndicate led by a certain Johnson Co, who is based in mainland China.

Yang, alias “Dragon” due to a tattoo on his back, and Lim are reportedly in charge of facilitating the entry of illegal drugs into the country with the help of several officials in the Bureau of Customs.

Acierto further stated that Lim was behind a clandestine drug lab raided by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Cavite in July 2018, which resulted in the recovery of P10.4 billion worth of drugs and equipment for manufacturing illegal substances.

Acierto said Lim was arrested during the operation but was later released due to a technicality.

He also alleged that Yang had provided shipping documents for the entry of illegal drugs recovered in a raid on a warehouse in Cagayan de Oro in 2005, which was operated by a certain Allan Sy.

Acierto said the matrix was submitted to then-Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, former PDEA Director Aaron Aquino, and Police Deputy Director General Camilo Cascolan. He also provided the report to Dela Rosa’s successor, former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde.

Unfortunately, Acierto claimed his report was ignored.

“Wala silang ginawa, pinabayaan nila ang report,” Acierto said.

“Hanggang sa umabot na hindi ma-dispute ang report, ako at ang team ko ang siniraan,” he added.

Acierto expressed disappointment that Dela Rosa never acted on his report and instead met with Lim.

“I submitted the report to [then-PNP chief] Dela Rosa, ‘di niya inaksyunan. Sa halip, si Allan Lim ang kinausap niya,” he said.

Acierto said he felt betrayed, as shortly after submitting the report, he was accused by Duterte of being involved in illegal drugs.

In October 2018, Duterte publicly named Acierto as one of the police officials allegedly linked to illegal drugs.

Acierto was later implicated in the smuggling of P11 billion worth of drugs concealed in magnetic lifters, which were found at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and in a warehouse in Cavite in 2018.

He has been in hiding since 2019.

In his testimony before the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs last July, Acierto claimed that former President Duterte wanted the military and police to kill him because of his efforts to investigate Yang and Lim for their alleged links to the illegal drug trade.

“Pinapapatay po ako ni Duterte dahil tinutukan ko at pinaiimbestigahan ko si Michael Yang at Allan Lim na malapit na kaibigan ni Bong Go,” he said, referring to former Special Assistant to the President, now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.

ia/mnm