Senator Bong Go is interviewed on the detention of the Office of the Vice President’s Chief Of Staff Zuleika Lopez at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center after being cited in contempt during the House Quad Comm’s investigation on the OVP’s funds. RG Cruz, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA -- An official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency claimed that Senator Bong Go is a “close friend” of an individual allegedly involved in illegal drugs and other illegal activities. 

PDEA Deputy Director General Renato Gumban issued the statement before the House Quad Committee on Wednesday, as he presented a matrix supposedly showing the link between illegal drugs and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. 

The matrix showed a double-headed arrow between the names and photos of Go and Allan Lim. 

“According to this informant, Allan Lim is a close friend of then Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go. Allan Lim is a casino junket operator, who’s involved in the kidnapping of high-roller Chinese gamblers in Okada Manila,” Gumban said. 

“So ang ibig bang sabihin involved din si Senator Bong Go sa drugs, since kinonnect niyo po siya? Ano po ‘yung ibig sabihin ng arrow ninyo?” House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro asked. 

“According to our informant they are just close friends. That's why we just put it there. It is not specific that they are involved in drugs… We are still digging what we can have against these people. It is not yet complete. It is ongoing,” Gumban clarified. 

Pagdawit ng PDEA kay Bong Go sa POGO at illegal drug matrix sinita ng mga kongresista

“So alam ni Bong Go ang mga trabaho po ni Allan Lim?” Castro inquired further. 

“That could be answered by Senator Bong Go, not us yet. Because we are still investigating. We do not have concrete proof yet of what their transaction is,” Gumban replied. 

Congressmen slammed PDEA for including Go’s name in the matrix, without proof of his involvement in illegal drugs or illegal POGOs. 

“Huwag po kayong gagawa ng ganyang matrix na incriminating, kino-connect connect ninyo, tapos ang title n’yo ay illegal POGO and drugs connection… Kumpletuhin niyo po ‘yung inyong investigation diyan,” Castro said. 

“May I ask the PDEA that when you submit to the committee a matrix, please make sure that the information you have gathered are enough and sufficient to be able to prove your point,” Quad Comm Lead Co-Chairperson Rep. Robert Ace Barbers added. 

“Asec. Gumban, why do you have to include Senator Bong Go in the matrix when he is not even an incorporator?” Quad Comm Co-Chairperson Bienvenido Abante Jr. asked. 

“That is to establish that Allan Lim has a connection to higher ups, because of their friendship to higher people… Maybe the title is wrong,” Gumban replied. 

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“It also would be wrong for you to include a person who is not involved in those alleged crimes,” Abante asserted. 

Senator Go tagged PDEA’s statements as “irresponsible”. 

“Napaka-irresponsable naman po ng PDEA sa kanilang ihahayag sa mga hearings… Nagiging malicious po ito, illogical attempt to establish guilt by association. Rehash to dahil pinagbabasihan nila, i-report po ni Acierto na hindi naman credible witness… kada eleksyon na lang po, ito ang nagiging issue. Bulok na style, yun. Yung dudumihan ka, tatapunan ka ng dumi para sila po ang pumuti,” he said. 

CONTEMPT 

He was ordered detained at the House detention facility until the mega panel completes its committee report. 

Minutes later, Tumang said he was not feeling well and was excused from the hearing. 

“How many times were you able to meet with him about acquisition of land? Ilang beses niyo sila nakita?” Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro asked. 

“Hindi ko ma-recall, your honor. Hindi ko na kayang mag-elaborate po ng question ninyo, your honor. Masama na po ang pakiramdam ko,” Tumang said. 

“May we ask the House doctor to please check. One minute suspension!” Barbers declared. 

CARPIO, GRIJALDO 

Atty. Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, skipped the Wednesday Quad Comm hearing and sent a letter seeking to be excused. 

In his letter, Carpio told the panel that he filed criminal complaints against former Customs Intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who implicated him in the 2018 shipment of magnetic lifters containing P6 billion worth of shabu in a Manila port. Carpio previously tagged Guban’s claim as “baseless and maliciously false”. 

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“Atty. Mans Carpio, in his communication to the committee, simply stated that he wants to be excused, because he has filed criminal complaints against Mr. Jimmy Guban in the Office of the Ombudsman, Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City and the Office of the provincial prosecutor in Pampanga. He cited numerous cases by the Supreme Court supporting his position,” Rep. Romeo Acop informed the panel. 

The Quad Comm, meanwhile, directed its physician and the Philippine National Police to check on the condition of PCOL Hector Grijado, who repeatedly skipped the hearings after he claimed before the Senate that two congressmen allegedly coerced him to confirm the supposed reward system in the Duterte administration’s drug war. The lawmakers denied this.

Grijaldo sent the panel letters with attached medical certificate on his “rotator cuff syndrome”. 

“Medyo nakakapikon na po, Mr. Chairman. His continued absence in this committee hearing in the pretext of medical excuses is not acceptable. He wants to run… running away from his responsibility... He tainted the image of this representation, not only of this representation, but the whole of the Quad Comm,” Quad Comm Co-Chairperson Rep. Dan Fernandez said. 

“Medyo hindi ko matatanggap ‘yung excuses na medical services. Kung titingnan mo itong kanyang excuse written by his lawyer, kaya hindi siya nakapunta rito, because he was still in the hospital. Mula noong November 13 hanggang ngayon nasa hospital pa rin siya? Mayroon daw po siyang rotator cuff syndrome that can be treated through rest, sling and anti-inflammatory medications. Surely, he wanted to evade this hearing. Ayaw niyang panindigan ‘yung mga sinabi niya sa affidavit sa Senado,” he added. 

“His lie is brazen. I’d like to find out what we’re gonna do with Col. Grijaldo, realizing that he has not appeared here three times with the excuse that he has been in the hospital and confined,” Abante, for his part, said. 

“I didn’t have a syndrome. I had a torn rotator cuff and I had a surgery in September 18, 2024. On September 19, nakalabas na ako ng ospital,” Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas noted.