SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Friday said a big-time Chinese drug syndicate has been able to acquire thousands of land in Pampanga and “across the country.”
In remarks at the start of the first hearing of the House of Representatives Quad Comm, Barbers, who chairs the committee on dangerous drugs and is the lead presiding officer of the joint panel, said the syndicate is composed of “several Chinese nationals masquerading as Filipinos.”
He said part of the drug haul of the syndicate was the P3.6-billion worth of shabu seized by authorities in Mexico town in Pampanga in September 2023.
He said inquiries conducted by House committees showed that Chinese nationals who are incorporators of several interlocking companies owned the warehouse where the shabu shipment that entered the country through the Subic Freeport was confiscated.
He pointed out that the same Chinese nationals, including Duterte economic adviser Michael Yang, have been linked to several scandals, including the questionable Pharmally medical supplies procurement case and illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators.
“Land acquisition is one of the ways that they launder their drug funds. Nakabili na po sila ng libo-libong ektarya ng lupa dito sa Pampanga and across the country,” Barbers stressed.
He added that Quad Comm would try to expose the syndicate’s land purchases.
The panel’s first joint hearing was held at the mini-convention center of the town of Bacolor in Pampanga, which is part of the province’s third congressional district represented by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr.
Barbers and Gonzales thanked provincial and municipal officials for hosting the hearing. The Pampanga lawmaker welcomed his colleagues to his district.
Bacolor suffered the brunt of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. It is now one of the growth areas in Pampanga.
“Despite the catastrophe that befell the town, it was the resiliency and iron will of the people that propelled its recovery. Rehabilitation of Bacolor was slow at first, but steady nevertheless. Through yours truly, the passage of Republic Act No. 9506. which established the Bacolor Rehabilitation Council, assisted in expediting the town’s revitalization efforts,” Gonzales told his House colleagues and constituents.
He said he authored the law in the 14th Congress with Leyte congressman and now Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, whose mother traces her roots from Mabalacat City.
“Through the Bacolor Comprehensive Rehabilitation Master Plan, and the concerted efforts and valuable contribution of the people, the municipality has moved towards full recovery, regained its vibrancy, and rose to develop into one of Pampanga’s most progressive communities,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said the progressive town of Bacolor people see today is the product of the “blood, sweat, tears, and dreams” of every son and daughter of the devastated town.
“We will not let this redemption story go in vain. We have sacrificed too much for our municipality to be buried yet again – this time through the entry of foreign entities with malign intentions. This is a warning to all who threaten the safety and security of our people: You will never succeed! We will pursue this joint investigation and demonstrate our commitment to justice, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights,” he stressed.
“This Quad Comm meeting is every House member’s testament that we will fight against the malice that poses to undermine what we have labored for,” he said.
“We will not allow this to spread into nearby towns and provinces, and tarnish the honor of our country. Through these investigative efforts, we will mirror the resiliency of the people of Bacolor: we will overcome this tragedy and adversity. We will rise from the ashes, and we will rebuild our beloved country towards our goal of a Bagong Pilipinas!,” he added.
Echoing Barbers’ statements, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, who chairs the committee on public order and safety, said the Chinese drug syndicate also use their illegal drug proceeds in bribing government officials and personnel in obtaining Filipino identity documents like passports and birth certificates.
“They bribe government functionaries, from the barangay level up to national agencies,” he said.
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