Duterte family not linked to Laos shabu shipment, says Remulla

MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday said authorities have found no evidence linking the family of former President Rodrigo Duterte to a shipment of shabu intercepted in Laos that was allegedly bound for the Philippines.

“No evidence pointing to that,” Remulla said when asked whether the Duterte family was involved in the shipment. 

Remulla, however, confirmed that Duterte and alleged drug shipment financier Sultan Edrieza Nasser Rimbang, a former member of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament, have long been political allies.

“They are more than friends. They have been political allies for the longest time,” he said.

The interior chief stressed that Rimbang is only one of several individuals being investigated in connection with the drug trade.

Remulla also questioned why Rimbang was allegedly not included in the drug watchlist during Duterte’s administration, despite authorities’ claims that he had long been identified as a drug personality.

“Ang pinagtataka ko lang kung bakit noong drug war, hindi kasama si Rimbang sa watchlist kung known drug element na siya dati pa,” Remulla said.

He cited the case of former mayor and current Interior undersecretary Jed Mabilog, whom he described as having no involvement in illegal drugs but was allegedly placed on the drug watchlist and threatened with death.

Remulla said Mabilog was forced to leave the country because of threats to his life, despite what he described as the former mayor’s good record as a local official.

“Magtataka ka kung bakit ang tao na katulad na si Jed Mabilog, na Usec namin ngayon, who has totally no involvement in drugs, nilagay sa watchlist at tini-threaten ipapatay. Pero si Rimbang, na known criminal, hindi nilagay sa watchlist nila at conducted business freely noong panahon na iyon,” Remulla claimed.

For Remulla, the contrasting cases highlight what he described as the consequences of the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign, particularly the alleged failure to observe due process.

“The victims or could have been victimized were not given the proper light of day in court para marinig ang kanilang pahayag tungkol sa kanilang position,” he said.

Asked whether Rimbang was the head of the drug syndicate behind the intercepted shipment, Remulla said the former BARMM official leads his own organization but is not the only person being investigated.

Remulla also declined to speculate on whether an influential individual was protecting Rimbang, saying only the former lawmaker could answer that question.

The interior secretary credited cooperation with Malaysian and Laotian authorities for helping investigators advance the probe into the shipment.

“Actually, without the cooperation of Malaysia and Laos, hindi kami aabot sa ganitong sitwasyon. So, dito makikita ‘yung effectivity ng ASEAN,” he said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.