FRESH allegations linked ex-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his former economic adviser Michael Yang to the illegal drug trade through an affidavit presented to the House Quad Comm revealing their ties to a 2004 raid on a clandestine shabu laboratory in Dumoy, Davao City.
The raid, conducted during Duterte’s tenure as mayor, uncovered over 100 kilos of high-grade shabu worth P300 million, considered the largest drug bust of its time.
In her sworn affidavit submitted during Thursday’s hearing, Jed Pilapil Sy, wife of suspected drug lord Allan Sy and owner of the Dumoy property—later revealed as shabu lab—detailed the events leading up to her husband’s mysterious disappearance and her eventual conviction.
Jed recounted a harrowing series of incidents on Dec. 31, 2004, including a confrontation with then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
She recalled Duterte visiting her home in Davao City, visibly enraged and demanding to know her husband’s whereabouts.
“Noong araw din na ‘yun, mga bandang 9:30 ng gabi, pinuntahan ako ni Mayor Duterte at hinahanap niya ang asawa ko sa aming bahay sa Arlene apartment kung saan kami umuupa. Tinanong ko si Mayor Duterte kung bakit niya hinahanap ang asawa ko, ang sabi lang niya ‘basta, galit na galit ako sa kanya,’” Jed recalled.
She continued, “Ako ay nagtataka at nagulat, at dahil dito tinanong ko si Mayor Duterte kung mayroon po bang kasalanan ang asawa ko sa kanya. Inulit lang ni Mayor Duterte na ‘basta, galit na galit ako sa kanya.’”
Jed said Duterte then provided her with security and warned her not to leave the house but failed to follow up on his statements.
Hours after Duterte’s visit, Jed learned from a friend that the Dumoy property was raided by authorities.
“Makalipas ng ilang oras, tumawag ang isa sa mga kaibigan ng asawa ko para sabihin sa akin na ako daw ay manood ng telebisyon dahil na-raid daw ang Dumoy at nandoon ang asawa ko at may mga namatay,” Jed said. “Noong pagkabukas ko ng telebisyon, napanuod ko ang news tungkol sa Dumoy raid at may mga napaslang.”
The Dumoy raid marked the last time Allan Sy was reportedly seen. Jed lamented that until now, she does not know whether her husband is still alive or already dead.
Jed, her brother Jong Pilapil, and others were arrested the following day and later sentenced to life imprisonment. They have been serving sentence in a Davao prison.
While Jed claimed their conviction was based on fabricated evidence, it had already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The affidavit further implicated Yang, linking him to the Sy family’s business dealings through his DCLA Plaza in Davao City.
“Ang DCLA Plaza na pagmamay-ari ni Hong Ming ay naging display area namin ng foam,” she said, referring to Yang by his real Chinese name, Hong Ming Yang.
When shown a photo of Yang, Jed confirmed his identity, describing him as a close friend of her husband.
Jed’s statements align with those of dismissed Police Col. Eduardo Acierto, who accused Duterte of shielding Yang and another suspected drug lord, Allan Lim, alias Lin Weixiong, from accountability during his presidency.
Acierto testified that Yang operated drug laboratories in Mindanao, including the Dumoy facility, since the early 2000s.
“Michael Yang, alias ‘Dragon,’ was heavily involved in manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs,” Acierto told lawmakers, citing intelligence reports compiled in 2017.
Acierto also claimed Yang provided shipping documents for illegal drugs recovered during a 2005 raid in Cagayan de Oro City.
Acierto said he included this information in a detailed matrix submitted to then-PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa, former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Aaron Aquino, and Police Deputy Director General Camilo Cascolan.
The report was later forwarded to Dela Rosa’s successor, former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde. However, the report was reportedly ignored, and Acierto and his team were subsequently discredited when the findings became difficult to dispute.
Acierto accused Dela Rosa of inaction, claiming that instead of addressing the allegations, Dela Rosa opted to meet with Allan Lim, a suspected drug lord.
Acierto stated that soon after submitting the report, he was accused of involvement in illegal drugs by then-President Duterte.
In October 2018, Duterte publicly named Acierto as one of the police officials allegedly linked to the illegal drug trade.
By 2019, Acierto had gone into hiding after being implicated in the smuggling of P11 billion worth of drugs concealed in magnetic lifters found at the Manila International Container Port and a warehouse in Cavite.
In his previous testimony before the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Acierto claimed that Duterte allegedly sought to silence him by ordering his execution, allegedly due to his investigations into Yang and Lim, who were known associates of then-Special Assistant to the President now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.
“Pinapapatay po ako ni Duterte dahil tinutukan ko at pinaiimbestigahan ko si Michael Yang at Allan Lim na malapit na kaibigan ni Bong Go,” he said
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