Marine Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino is still entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence, the spokesman for the Philippine Navy said on Thursday afternoon.
Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesperson on Col. Marcelino’s case: We will go through the investigation process. http://www.gmanetwork.com/radio/streaming
Colonel Edgard Arevalo, nonetheless, told radio station dzBB that the Navy was a professional organization.
"We do not condone any illegal activity among our members," Arevalo told radio anchors Orly Trinidad and Glenn Juego.
"Justice will be served," he added.
According to Arevalo, Marcelino was still at his post at the Navy Candidate Officer Pool in Zambales as late as 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.
Marcelino on Thursday morning reportedly informed his superior officer that he went to Manila to come to the aid of a former subordinate.
A former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Marcelino was arrested by PDEA agents in a raid that netted 63 kilos of suspected shabu from a safehouse in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Thursday.
Marcelino claimed innocence, saying that he was also at the scene as part of an an anti-drug operation.
"This is an operation ... nagkasalubong lang yan e ... alam ng tropa yan," Marcelino told reporters.
"Puntahan ninyo ako doon sa PDEA.... I am invoking my right to give.... na ipaliwanag ito. Bakit ayaw nila akong bigyan ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag," he added.
Former PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago who worked with Marcelino at the anti-drug agency vouched for Marcelino's character but added that he would have to defer to the findings of further investigation.
"Tingnan natin kung siya's bida o kontra-bida," Santiago told dzBB.
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