He claims to have paid 5M pesos to a councilor with 'close links' to Davao VM Paolo Duterte

  MANILA – Customs broker Mark Ruben Taguba II on Tuesday claimed that he paid five million pesos as "enrollment fee" to a group of Davao City led by councilor who has alleged close links to City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, eldest son of President Rodrigo Duterte. Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Taguba claimed that the "Davao Group" asked for millions of pesos so that shipments he would bring in would not undergo Customs inspection. The alleged members of the "Davao Group" are Davao City Councilor Small Abellera, a certain "Tita Nani" and a certain "Jack", who Taguba said, was Vice Mayor Duterte's "handler" as show in a text message between him and "Tita Nani". Reading a text from his mobile phone, Taguba said: "Ang nakalagay po sa text niya (The text said) "Good a.m., Mark. We'll make final arrangements with Jack. He is the handler of Paolo. Now we have to advance the (enrollment fee). He can fly down to Davao to arrange your meeting with Pulong ASAP. During the meeting you personally turn over the 5 million pesos." Taguba also said he handed over the five million pesos to Abellera in a Davao City restaurant and since then, he would give the Davao Group an alleged bribe every week. The amount would depend on the number of containers he brings in. In Davao City, Vice Mayor Duterte and Abellera have refused to comment on Taguba's claim. Taguba appeared before the Senate committee which is investigating the smuggling from China of 604 kilos of crystal meth worth 6.5 billion pesos last May. Taguba helped smuggle the illegal drugs into the country, which were confiscated by authorities in a warehouse in Valenzuela City, a component city in Metro Manila. The Senate committee investigation started last week. Abellera was invited to appear before the committee to shed light on the crystal meth smuggling but he declined, citing hypertension as reason. Taguba said he was referred to the Davao Group by a certain "Jojo Bacud," who was one his connections in the Customs bureau but Customs officials said there was no one named Jojo Bacud who works in the bureau. Taguba added that he turned to the Davao group after a Customs official who he identified as Mike Sabban started flagging his shipments following a feud with Taguba's father. GAC/Expat 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