House of Representatives (MANILA BULLETIN)

The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs wants to have a word with the owner of Empire 999 warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga. 

This, after 530 kilos of "shabu" worth P3.6 billion were discovered there by law enforcement agencies last Sept. 24. 

Surigao del Sur 2nd Rep. Johnny Pimentel made the pitch to businessman Willy Ong Monday, Oct. 9 during a public hearing of the dangerous drugs panel on the recent huge drug hauls in Pampanga. 

Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop formalized the motion, which was then promptly carried by panel chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. 

Acop, also upon the recommendation of Pimentel, later moved to subpoena Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan Tan. A subpoena is a more strongly-worded invite that may carry the penalty of detention if it gets snubbed. 

“We just want to know, huwag sana po kayong magagalit [former] mayor [Teddy] Tumang, gusto lang po naming malaman kasi dalawang beses na po sa Pampanga, sa Mexico po, and this is one of the biggest drug busts, whether the officials from barangay to municipality, we are not accusing anyone yet Mayor Tumang, pero gusto po nating malaman kung involved po kayong mga local official doon sa drug bust, Mayor Tumang,” Pimentel said in justifying the invite to Ong. 

(I hope former mayor Teddy Tumang doesn't get mad, we just want to know since there are now two drug busts in Pampanga, in Mexico, and this is one of the biggest drug busts, whether the officials from barangay to municipality, we are not accusing anyone yet Mayor Tumang, but we just want to know if the local officials are involved in it.) 

“Nakikita ko po Mr. Chair, parang iyung municipality of Mexico (I can see Mr. Chair that the municipality of Mexico) is very privy to the activities of Mr. Willy Ong starting from the barangay all the way up to municipality. Now Roy Gomez Mr. Chair is a very close confidant of Mayor Tumang, since Mayor Tumang was the one who approved the building permit, who approved the occupancy permit, so I am very sure and according to [their] statements and they also admitted that they had few conversations,” Pimentel added. 

As per reports, Ong is a businessman from Nueva Ecija. Gomez is a co-terminus

employee of former mayor Tumang, whom the Office of the Ombudsman has

dismissed in connection with a graft case. 

It was under Tumang’s term that Ong had obtained a building permit and an occupancy permit for his warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino in Mexico. 

During Pimentel's interrogation, Tumang said he met with and had a brief discussion with Ong on the warehouse he intended to build in San Jose Malino when he applied for a building permit. 

Tumang also admitted that Gomez worked under him and that Ong bought one of the lots from his brother. It was on this lot that Ong constructed his warehouse. 

Tumang also admitted that Gomez worked “on the side” for Ong as a “facilitator” of his permits and other documents. 

Tan did not show up during Monday's hearing. It was through the SBMA port that the 530 kilos of shabu entered the country before being transported to Barangay San Jose Malino. 

The committee was later briefed in a closed-door executive session on the details of the shipment and its confiscation by officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Bureau of Customs (BOC). --with reports from Dexter Barro II.