Atty. Persida Acosta, legal counsel of Marine Lieutenant Coroner Ferdinand Marcelino, urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help their comrade in proving to the court that Marcelino was doing covert drug operations in the past.
After the hearing of the drug case against Marcelino and his Chinese companion Yan Yi Shou on Tuesday before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 49, Acosta expressed that they are open for help the AFP can give.
“If the AFP wants to help their comrade, they can do so because this case involves national security and national interest while the war on drugs of the government is at stake,” Acosta said.
Marcelino’s camp was asked to submit a certification that Marcelino was indeed helping in the anti-illegal drugs operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) prior to his arrest in a drug facility in Manila last year.
Acosta said evidences that will strengthen the case of Marcelino to defy the court’s decision against him will be revealed soon.
Acosta said they already have “evidences that will strengthen and solidify” the claims of Marcelino that he was involved in the legitimate anti-narcotics operations of the AFP.
“We already have several submitted documents but the judge wants some other documents, so we will try our best,” Acosta said.
Furthermore, the Public Attorney’s Office Chief said that this time, the certification on the role of Marcelino in the anti-drug operations “will be more specific” saying that the “manner of how Marcelino conducted the covert operations” will be included on the said documents.
According to Acosta, Judge Daniel Villanueva wants that Marcelino’s role in the anti-drug campaign be documented even if Marcelino’s camp was able to show the same in a court in Quezon City which dismissed the case.
Meantime, the urgent motion for Commitment Order filed by the AFP on Jan. 3 seeking the custody of Marcelino has been submitted for resolution. Legality of the detention of Marcelino under AFP’s watch is still being studied, according to the court.
Marcelino and Yan, who face charges of possession of illegal drugs, were arrested by authorities in an alleged shabu laboratory in Manila in January last year. Marcelino has claimed that he was doing surveillance operation that night following a tip from Yan, who served as an asset for 11 years.
Marcelino and Yan’s arrest warrant came out late December. They both surrendered on the same day. Marcelino turned himself over the AFP while Yan surrendered to the NBI.
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