THE LAW APPLIES TO ALL………..EXCEPT TO ME AND MY FAMILY

DRUG CASE NI MANNY LIM
by Raymond Burgos

Marami ang nagtataka kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari sa drug case sa anak ni Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim na si Manuel “Manny” Lim na nahuli ng mga ahente ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency noong Agosto 2008.

Malaking volume ng shabu ang nakuha kay Manny Lim at dalawa pa nitong kasamahan matapos isailalim sa matinding surveillance na nagresulta sa isang buy-bust operation na pinangunahan din ni Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino na siya ring humuli sa “Alabang Boys.”

Sa kabila ng matibay na ebidensiya na hawak ng PDEA laban kay Manny Lim ay natalo sila sa husgado at nagkaroon ng provisional dismissal ang drug case noong Setyembre 2008 ayon na rin sa naging desisyon ni Judge Vargas ng Branch 13 ng Manila Regional Trial Court.

Pero ang nakakapagtaka ay kung bakit hindi naghain ng motion to review or motion to revive the case ang PDEA gayung temporary lang namang ang naging dismissal sa kaso ni Manny Lim at “without prejudice to revive the case.”

Kung matatandaan, mismong si Mayor Lim ay nagsabing hindi siya makikialam sa kaso ng kanyang anak dahil na rin sa kanyang prinsipyo na “the law applies to all, otherwise none at all.” Sinabi rin ni Lim sa kanyang anak na si Manny na “buntot niya, hila niya.”

Ang hindi alam ng marami ay si Mayor Lim din ang nagbigay ng abugado sa kanyang anak sa katauhan ni Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing at sa tulong na rin ng mga taga-City Hall ay nakakuha siya ng provisional dismissal na nagresulta sa paglaya ni Manny Lim.

Si Bagatsing na rin ang nagsasabi na may nakausap ito sa PDEA kung kaya hindi na ito nag-file ng motion to revive the case at dahil nga dito ay dali-daling nakaalis papuntang Estados Unidos si Manny sa tulong na rin ng kanyang ama.

Bilib tayo kay Maj. Marcelino at lalu na sa kanyang hepe na si Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago pero mukhang hindi lahat ng taga-PDEA ay diretso kung mag-isip at may mangilan-ngilang naliligaw ng landas lalu na kapag mala­laking tao ang nasasangkot sa iligal na droga.

Dapat sigurong tanungin ni Gen. Santiago ang kanyang legal division kung bakit walang motion to review na inihain ang mga abugado ng PDEA gayung mabigat ang mga ebidensiyang hawak nila kay Manny Lim.

Kung nagkataon na kasing tindi ng paghawak sa kaso ng Alabang Boys ang ginawa nilang paghawak sa kaso ni Manny Lim ‘di sin sana’y nakakulong pa rin ang anak ng alkalde ng Maynila at hindi nakatakbo sa US kung saan siya kasalukuyang nagpapalamig.

Kung tutuusin nga, mas matibay ang ebidensiyang hawak ng PDEA laban kay Manny Lim kumpara sa “Alabang Boys” pero hindi nagpursige ang mga abugado ng PDEA para ma-convict ang anak ni Mayor Lim at nang magkaroon ng provisional dismissal ay wala ring ginawa rito ang naturang ahensya.

Balewala kasi ang mga nahuhuling drug dealer kung walang kinahihinatnan ang kanilang mga kaso dahil ang sukatan ng tagumpay laban sa iligal na droga ay kung gaano karaming drug lord ang nasesentensyahan dahil ito ang batayan kung gaano kahusay ang trabaho ng PDEA at iba pang law enforcers.

Lumilitaw na pagkatapos maiprisinta sa press confe­rence ang mga huling drug dealer at makakuha ng promotion at papuri ang mga operatiba ay hindi na binibigyan ng pansin ang kaso sa husgado kaya nga maraming beses ay nagkakaroon ng dismissal ang mga kaso dahil hindi uma-attend ng court hearing ang mga arresting officers at mga opisyal ng Crime Laboratory.

Madaling manghuli ng drug dealer pero ang mas mahirap na parte ay ang pagtitiyak na magkakaroon ng conviction ang mga akusado at sa aspetong ito dapat magdiin si Gng. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ngayong siya ang tumatayong anti-drug czarina.

Maging halimbawa sana ang kinahinatnan ng drug case ni Manny Lim para hindi na ito maulit at mangyayari lang ito kung gagawin ng PDEA ang kanyang trabaho na mag-file ng motion to revive the case.

Kapag nangyari iyon ay dapat ding gawin ng Department of Justice ang kanyang parte at ito ay ang pagtrabaho sa extradition ni Manny Lim mula sa Estados Unidos.

THE PRECEDING COLUMN WAS TAKEN FROM THE JANUARY 16, 2009 ISSUE OF ABANTE TONITE

THE FOLLOWING NEWS CLIP WAS TAKEN FROM THE GMA NEWS WEBSITE

Lim on son’s arrest: ‘Let ax fall where it may’
03/15/2008 | 04:50 PM GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines – A son of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim was arrested in a drug sting operation in Manila’s downtown Sta. Cruz district Saturday.

In a report, radio dzBB’s Benjie Liwanag quoted Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Director Dionisio Santiago as saying that operatives had arrested Manny Santos Lim, 44, and two companions during the operation at the Pharaoh Hotel in Sta. Cruz.

Seized from Lim and his two still-unnamed companions were 100 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride crystals (shabu) worth P600,000.

The report said PDEA was to bring Lim and his companions to the Department of Justice for inquest proceedings.

Lim confirms son arrest

The mayor confirmed to reporters in a phone interview that Manny Lim is his son.

“If he violated the law, let the ax fall where it may,” said Lim. “The law applies to all.”

Mayor Lim said that he has yet to receive any formal report on the arrest of his son.

PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago, however, said he had phoned Lim to report the anti-drug operation that led to the arrest of the mayor’s son.

Lim said he even congratulated Dionisio and his men for the successful operation.

The mayor admitted that he and his son, a businessman, have not been in speaking terms for several months.

“I will not lift a finger to help him,” he said. He explained that he only helps people who are victims of cruelty.

He said that he did not know his son was involved in the illegal drug trade. But he revealed that his son had a family problem. – GMANews.TV

Mendiola massacre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

13 Farmers killed during a demonstration in Malacanang

   The Mendiola massacre, also called Black Thursday by some Filipino journalists, was an incident that took place in Mendiola Street, San Miguel, Manila, Philippines on January 22, 1987, in which state security forces violently dispersed a farmers’ march on Malacañang Palace. Thirteen of the peasants were killed and many wounded when government anti-riot forces opened fire on the marchers.

   By January 1987, the administration of Corazon C. Aquino had been in power less than a year after the People Power Revolution ousted Ferdinand E. Marcos as President of the Philippines. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Filipino, “Peasants’ Movement of the Philippines”), a militant farmers’ group led by Jaime Tadeo, demanded genuine agrarian reform from the Aquino government.

   On January 15, 1987, members of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas encamped at the Ministry of Agrarian Reform (now the Department of Agrarian Reform) in Diliman, Quezon City. The group presented their problems and demands, among of which was the distribution of land to the farmers for free. Dialogue between the farmers, represented by Jaime Tadeo, and the government, represented by then Agrarian Reform minister Heherson Alvarez took place on January 20, 1987, with Alvarez promising to bring the matter to the President’s attention during the cabinet meeting to be held the next day.

  The farmers barricaded the Ministry of Agrarian Reform offices and prevented its employees from going inside the premises the day after. In discussions later that day, Alvarez advised Tadeo, suggesting that a negotiating panel be assembled the following day for further talks.

   On January 22, 1987, the farmers decided to march to Malacañang Palace in order to air their demands instead of negotiating with Heherson Alvarez. Marching from the Quezon City Memorial Circle, Tadeo’s group was joined by members of other militant groups: Kilusang Mayo Uno (May One Movement), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance), League of Filipino Students and Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod (Unity Congress of the Urban Poor). At 1:00 in the afternoon, the marchers reached Liwasang Bonifacio and held a brief program. At around the same time, anti-riot personnel under the command of Capital Regional Command commander Gen. Ramon Montaño, Task Force Nazareno under the command of Col. Cesar Nazareno and police forces under the command of Western Police District Chief Brig. Gen. Alfredo Limwere deployed around the vicinity of Malacañang.

   The first line of civil disturbance control units consisted of policemen from the Western Police District. About ten yards behind the policemen were Integrated National Police Field Force units. The third line, a further ten yards from the second police line, consisted of a Philippine Marine Corps unit, the Marine Civil Disturbance Control Battalion. Positioned behind the Marines were army trucks, water cannons, fire trucksand two Mobile Dispersal Teams equipped with tear gas delivery gear.

    The marchers numbered 10,000–15,000 by the time they reached Claro M. RectoAvenue. They clashed with the police, and the police lines were breached. At this point, gunshots were heard and the marchers disengaged from the melee, retreating towards Claro M. Recto Avenue. Sporadic gunfire could be heard amidst the withdrawal. Alfredo Lim, now Mayor of Manila, conveniently forgotten his role and maintains the excuse that the Marines were responsible for the shooting.

   Twelve marchers were immediately confirmed dead; later sources would cite thirteen. Thirty-nine had gunshot wounds and 12 sustained minor injuries. On the state security forces’ side, three sustained gunshot wounds and 20 suffered minor injuries. President Corazon Aquino convened a special body chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Vicente Abad Santos, the Citizens’ Mendiola Commission, to investigate the incident. The body recommended the prosecution of all commissioned officers of the Western Police District and the Integrated National Police Field Force who were armed at that time.

   In protest over the massacre, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights, Jose Diokno and J.B.L. Reyes, resigned from the government.    In 1988, the Manila Regional Trial Court issued a decision to dismiss a P6.5-million class suit filed by relatives of the victims. This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1993.

In 2007, members of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas installed a granitemarker at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the incident.

The government disallowed the conduct of demonstrations at Mendiola, however, in January 2008, Mayor Alfredo Lim, again allowed the conduct of rallies at the landmark, as long as these are held on weekends and holidays.

MANILA’S FINEST HOODLUM

Tales from the Darkside of Alfredo Lim – part 1

By Luisa Bustamante – Smart Files

   Manila’s John Wayne, Django Kojak and Dirty Harry, These are just a sampling of the praises lavished by the media on former Western Police District(WPD) head and former Director of the NBI Mayor Alfredo Lim. Truly, Lim’s exploits and storied career have received fawning coverage by the media to whom he has obviously endeared himself. Just recently, a movie was even made depicting and extolling the supposed courage and devotion to duty of Manila’s ageless and bronzed warrior in uniform.

   But there exists a lesser known and perhaps more truthful side to this former chief of Manila’s finest, the name accorded to the WPD as the premier police unit in the country. It is the exact opposite of what has been touted by the media quarters sympathetic to him. A careful reading of Lim’s stint as a police officer reveals it is replete with reported cases of corruption, utter disregard for the law, abuse of authority and human rights violations including “salvaging,” shady deals and a reign of terror, all perpetrated by Lim and his cohorts.

   This is the other side of Lim. The dark side that rarely sees print, thanks in large measure to Lim’s uncanny ability to manipulate media.

   Lim’s supporters claim dedication and hard work as the two key elements of Lim’s steady rise to power. Lim’s own campaign slogan for his reelection pictures him as a “Man of Action.” But a great portion of Lim’s success can very well be attributed to Lim’s manipulation of the media to depict him as a no-nonesense,  honest to goodness police officer. He is a media creation who has spawned from the stories and articles which flowed from the pen of journalist friends. A good example of this is Lim’s 1968 “foiling” of an escape attempt of five prisoners in Precint 5 in Sta. Ana when Lim was still an obscure station commander. Lim made the prisoners believe that escape was possible, but only the convicts were to realize in the end that they were mere pawns in a drama staged to add impetus to the then still-fledging career of Lim. All the five escapees were killed in the event that was well covered by the media. The “foiling” of the escape then led to the promotion of Lim and that of his men.

The Manipulator of His Subordinates

   Lim is not only adept at media manipulation tactics, but is also well versed in the ways of soliciting loyalty and support from his colleagues and subordinates in the police force. A classic example of this is Lim’s signature campaign to bolster support for himself within the ranks of the WPS. Through his trusted lieutenant and muscleman, Col. J. Lagasca, Lim ordered all WPD officers to sign a prepared resolution supporting him in his clash with then EIID Commissioner Jose Almonte. This was during the time of Almonte’s investigation of the smuggling activities in Manila that were regarded to be the handiwork of WPD operatives closely identified with Lim.

   Gen. Lim also requested support from the other three police districts of Metro Manila. These police chiefs were Col. Edgar Dula Torres, who was recommended by Lim as the Northern Police District Superintendent; Col. Samson, a classmate at the National defense College of the Philippines and Gen. Manuel Roxas, who was promised a recommendation as the next superintendent of the WPD. Lim also requested Brig. Gen. Javier D. Carbonnel, Commander of the Metropolitan Citizen’s Military Training Command – MCMTC and Director of U.E. Knights Inc., to pass resolutions of support to his naked ambition to be appointed the first Director General of the then newly-created Philippine National Police.

Syndicated Crimes and Alfredo Lim

   The spheres of influence and interest of Alfredo Lim extend far beyond the legal limits of his office as Mayor of Manila. Lim and his men are also behind or protectors of almost all kinds of syndicated crimes in the city such as prostitution, illegal drugs, smuggling, illegal gambling, rice hoarding, etc.. the easy profits generated from these illegal activities have afforded Lim and his cohorts the needed funds to solidify their hold on power.

Patron of Manila’s Drug lords and Smugglers

   Lim’s supposed tough stand and iron fisted treatment of suspected drug lords and smugglers operating in the city is set against the backdrop of the painful reality that Lim is associated with some of the most powerful drug lords in Manila.

    Lim was the kumpadre and protector of the late Manuel Velasco, the leader of a big drug syndicate at Binondo, Manila. It was Velasco who allegedly helped two of Lim’s children through college during the earlier and leaner days when Lim was still a lowly policeman. Velasco was believed to have been arrested by law enforcers other than those under Lim. Velasco disappeared and Lim was supposed to have feared that he spilled the beans on Lim before he vanished.

   Lim was also widely-reputed to be the protector of Jose “Pepe” Oyson, once regarded as the number one drug lord in the country. It was an open secret that WPD men associated with Lim doubled as bodyguards of Oyson. Oyson was later killed under highly suspicious circumstances by operatives of Lim after being “invited” on orders of Lim. At that time other law enforcement agencies were hot on the trail of Oyson and his arrest was quite imminent. There were talks at that time that Lim decided to get to Oyson first to preclude the possibility of his revealing his ties with Lim the way Velasco might have done.

   And even closer to home, there is his own fresh and blood, his nephew, a certain Maynard Limcangco Siojo, who according to the paper is the number one drug pusher in Manila. Like Manuel velasco and “Pepe” Oyson, Siojo enjoys the protection of his uncle. Another relative reportedly into large-scale drug pushing who also enjoys Lim’s protection is his half-brother, Quentin. Quentin is allegedly very close to Joseph Estraded and was supposedly on of the vice-president’s financiers in the last elections.

   Apart from illegal drugs, Lim has likewise been linked to big-time smuggling. This was extensively reported on in Smart File Double issue 26&27 where his association with Sy Pio Lato’s smuggling syndicate was exposed. In this type of operation, Lim enlists the participation and aid of his band of trusted men. They engage what the local smuggling underworld has termed as escort services. This refers to the escorting of smuggled goods from the pier to the secret warehouses of big time smugglers. The duty of the escorts is to preclude or forestall apprehension by other law enforcers.

   In the past, protection and escort services extended by Lim’s men such as former Police Lt. Antonio Sapalo, Col. Romeo Maganto, and Col. Alladin Dimagmaliw resulted in several encounters between Lim’s men and operatives from the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau(EIIB). At times these encounters almost led to near “shoot-outs” arising from the adamant refusal of Lim’s men to turn over smuggled items to the apprehending authorities unless otherwise instructed by Lim himself. In fact because of Sapalo’s clear in

Fred Lim at work in Manila

volvement in these smuggling activities he was summarily dismissed from the service.

 

 

 

SMART FILE EDITORIAL 1994

Fred Lim at work in Manila

  Manila’s Finest. That has been the name tradition had reserved for the Manila Police Force. And among Manila’s finest, one name has stood out. Alfredo Lim, former Manila Western Police District chief, former head of the National Bureau of Investigation(NBI), and now Mayor of the country’s premier city, has been touted as the finest Manila’s Finest has ever produced.

 

 

   It has mostly been that way. Mayor Alfredo Lim has always had the singular luck of coming out smelling roses in the media. He has consistently been pictured as an uncompromising nemesis of organized crime, graft and corruption, and the myriad evils associated with the bureaucracy and petty traditional politicians. In fact during his first campaign for the mayoralty, Lim’s chosen symbol was a broom to portray his supposed no-nonsense mission to rid city hall of its Augean stables and the city of crime syndicates. This has led a former general who has had the opportunity of observing Lim at work up close to remark rather sarcastically the “Lim is just a media creation.”

   This “media creation” is the glowing picture of Lim the public has always been shown. That is the image he painstakingly tries to project. That is the Lim that, sadly, is the exact opposite of what his critics have portrayed him to be – a protector of crime lords, a purveyor of graft and corruption in high places, and a man given to violence with murders or summary executions or “salvaging” liberally strewn across his path. In short, he is the worst of Manila’s Finest!

   It is likely the true picture. There are just too much evidence scattered here and there that cannot but convince the objective observer that Lim is indeed the best thing that happened to syndicated crimes in the city. Witness for instance the various syndicates run by his bosom friend and associate Sy Pio lato. Sy Pio lato’s smuggling, prostitution, rice-hoarding and illegal gambling syndicates have flourished over the years certainly not because Lim targeted them for extinction when he was WPD chief, NBI director and Mayor. Mayor Lim may have indeed busted some organized crime outfits but as an earlier Smart File issue has shown, from obtaining indications, Lim’s actions appeared meant to marginalize  Sy Pio Lato’s actual and potential rivals. Apparently, this was to ensure that the criminal playing field remained uneven to suit Sy Pio Lato’s needs. Witness, too, the alleged protection Lim used to extend to known drug lords Manuel Velasco and Jose “Pepe” Oyson as well as to his own nephew, Meynard Siojo. For good measure, throw in convicted Calauan mayor and rapist-murderer Antonio Sanchez who was never arrested and charged by Lim while he was still NBI head despite overwhelming evidence collected by the NBI on Sanchez’s jueteng operations.

   But it is not the crime syndicates flourishing under Lim’s blessings and protection. There is likewise the miasma and stink of corruption which can be as pervasive and as nauseating as the “sweet heart” garbage contracte bagged by Leonel waste Management Inc., a corporation allegedly controlled by Sy Pio Lato. Truth to tell, Sy Pio Lato seems to be in on almost all of Lim’s questionable activities that he has most deservedly been referred to by city hall insiders as the “Little Mayor”. For apart from the crime syndicates, Sy Pio Lato operates, apart from the garbage contract, Lim’s favored “kumpadre” is reputed to also be involved in a host of anomalies at city hall which may not have yet caught the public eye as they are less obtrusive as the much criticized Leonel garbage collection and disposal contract.

   There is for instance, the multi-level parking project in Binondo where parking spaces have been reported to have been sold for as high as 140,000 pesos each. Then we have Divisoria Market building project worth some P 500 million. There is also the reported massive evasion of tax payments on amusement revenues estimated at over half a billion pesos annually for which Mayor Lim is allegedly able to demand a P 2 million weekly take from the 60 or so theater owners and operators in the city. Finally, there were the various pending projects and contracts Lim inherited when he took over as mayor. These projects and contracts were reviewed by no less than Sy Pio Lato with Lim’s blessings and businessmen or companies involved had since been pressured into ceding interests in these projects or contracts just so they would push through.

   Yet beyond the crime syndicates and over and above the graft and corruption at city hall, there is still a more sinister side to Lim. This is the obvious streak of ready violence in the man. From the time Lim made his first sensational kill as an obscure station commander in Sta. Ana where he hilled no less than five detainees “trying to escape”, Lim has never looked back. The scalps of his hapless victims or would-be victims have since piled up. The more known include drug lord Jose “Pepe” Oyson, the unarmed farmers in the Mendiola massacre, Colonel Rolando de Guzman and Major France Calanog, Batangas Fiscal Felizardo Lota, Dr. Nemesio Prudente, among others. This patented penchant for constitutional short cuts at the expense of the most basic human rights of persons who have crossed him or have posed real or imagined threats to him, makes of Lim a nightmare the city can do without.

   Unfortunately, the spectre that is Lim is something media appears perfectly willing to gloss over. But perhaps there is something about Lim that media cannot afford to ignore or paper over.

-          SMART FILE EDITORIAL  -