The Senate will recommend the inclusion of Customs Deputy Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the government amid receiving death threats.
Senate blue ribbon committee chair Senator Richard Gordon said this听on Tuesday听after Mangaoang admitted that she had been receiving threats听after attesting that the four magnetic lifters found in Cavite contained shabu.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting calls your honor鈥� warning me that may grupo nga pong galit na galit sa akin. Actually sinasabihan po akong 鈥榳ag na raw po akong magpa-interview kasi galit na galit na nga po sa akin. Kaya ayaw ko na rin pong magpa-interview,鈥� Mangaoang said at the continuation of the听Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry into the alleged smuggling of P6.8-billion worth of shabu into the country.
The Customs official said she already submitted an application for WPP to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.
Customs Deputy Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang. 黑料社 photo / CATHY MIRANDA
搁贰础顿:听Mangaoang wants to be placed under WPP听触听Guevarra: DOJ may consider placing Mangaoang under听gov鈥檛听protection
Gordon then said they would recommend her placement under the WPP.
鈥淲e can do that for you with the permission of (Senate President) Senator (Vicente) Sotto III and myself. We can recommend it to the Secretary of Justice,鈥� he told Mangaoang who thanked him in return.
搁贰础顿:听Solons question听credibility听of Customs whistleblower
Mangaoang had been accusing former Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lape帽a of 鈥渃overing-up鈥� for drug syndicates over the entry of more than 1-ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion into the country in August, while she and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Chief Aaron Aquino were insisting that the magnetic lifters found in Cavite contained illegal drugs.
搁贰础顿:听Customs official denies involvement with drug syndicates听触听PDEA chief now says magnetic lifters contained P11B 鈥榮habu鈥�听
In a House inquiry on the same issue, however, Lape帽a finally gave in and said he now believes that the four magnetic lifters contained shabu.
搁贰础顿:听Lape帽a听backpedals, now thinks magnetic lifters contained 鈥榮habu鈥�听触听Lape帽a听flip-flops on smuggled drugs issue; Duterte orders Guban鈥檚 arrest
Following the controversy, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the transfer of Lape帽a from the embattled agency to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). /jpv
搁贰础顿:听Lape帽a听out of Customs but named Tesda chief with Cabinet rank
搁贰础顿:听Duterte听defends听Lape帽a, Faeldon amid 鈥榮habu鈥� controversy: 鈥楴alusutan lang鈥�