THE Senate inquiry into reports linking an ally of President Duterte to illegal drugs has been terminated and will not be reopened, Sen. Richard J. Gordon, probe chairman, affirmed over the weekend, citing “insufficient evidence.”
Confirming that Senate probers have concluded the inquiry, Gordon said they have no plans to conduct further hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the case after ex-National Police Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto failed to provide solid evidence to pin down the alleged illegal-drugs connection of Michael Yang, Duterte’s former economic adviser.
“Acierto already admitted he had insufficient evidence [against Yang],” Gordon said in a radio interview on Sunday.
He added: “Acierto claims he wants to help [ferret out the truth], but he can’t present evidence; just a photo that came out in a newspaper of Michael Yang,” referring to the alleged presidential ally. “All of these findings were recorded in our executive session.”
Gordon continued: “After that, he [Acierto] never came back, that is why we ordered his arrest. It was a request to law enforcers to get him after being cited for contempt, even as the committee had already closed the hearing. There was a standing order for his arrest, but it was no longer important to me.”
The Senate chief prober lamented that expectations were not met in tapping the witness. “Parang pinapaypayan natin ang maliit na bagay na wala namang apoy. Dumaan sa kumite, nagbigay sya report, sabi nya si Michael Yang and Johnson Chua ay involved in supply of drugs in Davao and that Michael Yang, allegedly a close friend of Duterte, facilitated the shipment of equipment for the Davao lab. However, aside from pictures, news articles, wala nang ibang ebidensya na ibinigay [no other evidence was given],” Gordon added, referring to purported evidence supplied to Senate probers by Acierto, the ex-deputy director for administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group.