A harmful truth is better than a useful lie.
— German novelist Thomas Mann
Unknown to the public, there was something else that happened in the raid conducted by the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) on the warehouse in Santa Maria, Bulacan this past August.
We may say that the controversy is now veering towards an exciting part that could reveal some secrets!
According to a communication addressed to Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno that contained the investivation report of the incident, Lieutenant Erwin Kristoffer Gomez of the HPG disclosed that it was the Customs Police-Enforcement Security Service (ESS) raiding team who complained against the HPG Metro Manila but also against their own colleagues from the Bureau.
ESS special agent Lucky Joy Solmayor and technical support staff Alexander Arroyo Jr. recounted how there was an ‘intrusion’ during the condemnation activity to be conducted and they were ordered to transfer the confiscated illegal cigarettes instead if having them destroyed or burned as required by law.
Arroyo recalled that he was told in the vernacular, “Okay na ‘yan sa mga boss n’yo,” and his companion Solmayor also cited that he was informed concerning the seized contraband, “Nakatimbre na ito (mga sigarilyo)” in reference to the alleged “commander” of their agency.
The two BoC employees have been charged by the PNP-HPG before a court in Malolos City last Agosto 28 in connection with the sale of the illegal cigarettes.
In his sworn statelent, Solmayor and Arroyo were positively identified by the arrested middle, man na si Jesus Froilan Carpio, who said the errant BoC personnel received the ‘bribe’ in place of the 225 cartons of smuggled Red Carnival cigarettes during the entrapment or buy-bust operation conducted on August 19.
Based on the investigation report submitted to Commissioner Nepomuceno, it was Joel Rana, the manager of the Santa Maria warehouse, who cocked a firearm and proceeded to ‘dry firing’ in order to scare the ESS agents.
It was also indicated in the report that Solmayor was the only in possession of a valid mission order to monitor and verify the condemnation activity that was to be done on the cigarettes.
This is the reason there were doubts about why Arroyo was present in the warehouse.
“Lucky Joy Solmayor and Alexander Arroyo committed actions detrimental to the service. Including ESS operatives to assent to their illegal plan/s on the illegal cigarettes subject of the condemnation may hold them administratively and/or criminally liable for the same,” the report stated.
It appears that while the controversy is taking too long to be resolved, the truth is slowly being uncovered in the clash between the BoC and HPG. Different narratives have been released by the opposing sides but it is unwaveringly pointing to the wrongdoings of Solmayor and Arroyo.
In the meantime, an important question has been raised: Nilaglag na kaya ng BoC ang kanilang tauhan para proteksyunan ang isang mataas na opisyal?
Aside from this, it is also being adked: May white wash kaya?
We really don’t know about that. The police and BoC have their own internal probe in the matter but wouldn’t it be better if Malacañan, Congress and the Office of the Ombudsman got into the picture?
Let us see . . .
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