Senate

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa faced the Senate on Monday to shed light on the investigation into the so-called &quot;PDEA leaks&quot; controversy.</p><p>Ochoa missed two previous hearings of the Senate <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.</span></p><div><span id="isPasted"><a href="http://-authentic-says-paper-not-ai-generated-1932">READ: &#x27;Bato&#x27; insists PDEA &#x27;leaked&#x27; documents authentic, says paper not AI-generated</a></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Ochoa was accused by ex-PDEA agent Jonathan Morales of allegedly suppressing a planned anti-illegal drugs operation against high-profile personalities that included actress Maricel Soriano and then-Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.</span> </span></div><p>Morales cited his conversation <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">with then PDEA deputy director general Carlos Gadapan.</span></p><p><span id="isPasted">But, in the hearing, O</span>choa denied knowing Gadapan and other information contained in the PDEA leaks documents.</p><p>&quot;As I earlier mentioned, I don&#x27;t even know him and I don&#x27;t recall of any occasion that we have met or even talked, so I completely deny that I have made those instructions as alleged,&quot; Ochoa said.</p><p>However, Ochoa confirmed that he was, at some point, a partner in a law firm along with now First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos. However, he had to leave the firm when then-President Benigno Aquino III made him Executive Secretary.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/15/bato-says-ex-executive-secretary-ochoa-to-attend-next-pdea-leaks-hearing-1524">READ: Bato says ex-Executive Secretary Ochoa to attend next &#x27;PDEA leaks&#x27; hearing</a></div><p>Ochoa was excused from the hearing afterwards.</p><div><strong>STROKE</strong></div><p>Businessman Manjin James Kumar, whom Morales also dragged into the controversy, missed attending the hearing in-person because he was hospitalized due to stroke.</p><p>He eventually joined the hearing via Zoom, against doctor&#x27;s advice.</p><p>&quot;Gusto ko lang din matapos na ito kasi po di lang po ako nagsu-suffer pati pamilya ko po dahil dina-drag po yung pangalan ko sa bagay na wala akong alam at wala akong kinalaman. Na-stroke na ko at lahat dahil dito. Di na tama ito,&quot; Kumar said.</p><p>(I just want this over because I am not the only one suffering, my family is affected because my name is being dragged into something I don&#x27;t know about and have nothing to do with. I have had a stroke because of this. This is not right.)</p><p>Panel chair Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa cut Kumar&#x27;s testimony after his lawyer told the panel that it was against doctor&#x27;s advice.</p><p>&quot;This committee assumed a while ago that he was under doctor&#x27;s advice to go online attendance to this hearing but unfortunately ngayon mo lang sinabi na wala palang advice ang doctor kaya as chairman I have to rule not to continue with the questioning of James Kumar because of his condition,&quot; Dela Rosa said.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/13/senate-pdea-leaks-hearing-touches-on-marcos-2021-drug-test-1557">READ: Senate &#x27;PDEA leaks&#x27; hearing touches on Marcos&#x27; 2021 drug test</a></div><p>Dela Rosa had been prepared to wrap the hearing up if Kumar attended.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CP3XRCPhKTk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa faced the Senate on Monday to shed light on the investigation into the so-called "PDEA leaks" controversy.</p>

Former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa faced the Senate on Monday to shed light on the investigation into the so-called "PDEA leaks" controversy.

Ex-ES Ochoa denies alleged interference in PDEA operation | ABS-CBN

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Ex-ES Ochoa denies alleged interference in PDEA operation

Ex-ES Ochoa denies alleged interference in PDEA operation

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 20, 2024 03:14 PM PHT

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Senate

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