MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Saturday tagged the so-called “Alabang Boys” it arrested in September as a syndicate that sold illegal drugs at the Metro Manila club circuit and did business online.

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago on Saturday said Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson were part of a “cell” of a syndicate that brought Ecstasy to high-end clubs and bars in Metro Manila and supplied the drug to as far as Baguio.

“They have their own areas of coverage. They are part of a cell that has one area of operation and also goes online [to do business],” Santiago told the Inquirer when reached by phone yesterday.

Santiago gave details of the group’s operations after disclosing two weeks ago an alleged P50-million bribe for the Department of Justice’s dismissal of drug charges against the three young men, who were arrested in Araneta Center in Quezon City and Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa on Sept. 20.

The trio, whose camp vehemently denied the bribe claim, are still detained in PDEA’s custodial center in Quezon City, as the agency maintained it should keep custody of the accused pending a DoJ reinvestigation of the case. Prosecutors have found no probable cause to bring the case to trial.

Event organizing

Santiago earlier said on dzMM Saturday that members of the group, particularly Tecson, were involved in events organizing and turned concerts and other social gatherings into opportunities to peddle the group’s supply.

“They have international connections. They [are involved in] concerts … That’s why my appeal for parents is to watch over their kids especially when going to these events. They might be having a concert on something else,” said Santiago, careful however not to name clubs and bars where the boys allegedly sold drugs.

Citing information gathered about the group, Santiago identified Brodett as a “level 2” man who was right next to the top echelon in the hierarchy.

The suspects’ lawyer warned the PDEA against making claims unless it had evidence.

“I hope they have evidence to prove that. Their statements are getting more and more extreme. They should have proof to back that up,” said Jacqueline Verano, counsel for Tecson and Brodett.

All the suspects are in their 20s, said Verano: Brodett is 25, Tecson is 23 and Joseph, 22.

“At 25 years old, to be a supplier? It’s hard to believe they’re hardened criminals. It’s impossible for their age,” Verano said by phone.

“Is it possible that at these ages, they would already have a network of buyers and be able to influence the drug market? Highly unlikely,” she said in an e-mail.

Verano earlier denied PDEA’s bribery claim and said the agency’s case was a losing one at the outset as the Sept. 20 buy-bust was an “illegal operation.”

“It was a buy-bust, yes, but an illegal buy-bust. Even if they have evidence, that becomes inadmissible if the evidence was obtained illegally,” Verano elaborated on the phone on Saturday.

She said the boys’ constitutional rights were violated during the arrest as agents opened fire and failed to read them the Miranda rights. Verano also said, citing PDEA’s own admission, that the agents entered the upscale Ayala Alabang subdivision illegally.

15-minute chase

Asked to comment, Santiago said: “That’s always their reason. They will cite you on a technicality.”

He said the agents only decided to fire at Brodett’s car as the suspect was about to ram a PDEA vehicle and agents at the security perimeter. The suspect, the one “in control” of the goods, had allegedly engaged agents in a 15-minute chase after they announced the buy-bust.

Brodett about to ram agent

Joseph, who got out of the car to make the deal with PDEA’s poseur-buyer, was already in custody at the time of the chase, Santiago said.

Tecson was arrested in a follow-up operation in Quezon City hours later.

Admitting his men had fired shots, Santiago said: “He (Brodett) was about to ram his car into the agents … The choice [for the agents] was whether to jump out of the car or stop it.”

Asked why the PDEA would accuse his clients of bribery if there was none, Verano said: “They have not gotten any big fish that’s why they’re showing off that they’re doing something. I think they’re just trying to get recognition, that’s why they’re using this.”

The trio’s lawyers are preparing charges of arbitrary detention against the PDEA for keeping the suspects without charges.

“They should be released during automatic review. That’s because, as of today, there’s no charge. The boys should be out in the meantime,” said Verano.

The PDEA earlier invoked a DoJ memorandum on case reviews for keeping the suspects, saying that it was obliged to hold them pending a reinvestigation.