PERRYSCOPE

Perry Diaz

Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino: Living hero

It takes a great deal of courage and integrity for a soldier to resist a P20-million bribe. But that's what Marine Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino did. First, he was offered a P3-million bribe to release the "Alabang Boys" from detention. He rejected it. Then the offer was increased to P20 million. He turned it down again. When he heard that a state prosecutor was offered a P50-million bribe to drop the case against the "Alabang Boys," Marcelino decided to expose the bribery attempts.

Little did Marcelino realize that what he did would catapult him to fame. He won the admiration of the Filipino people for his honesty, integrity and incorruptibility.

His honesty was tested last May 2008 when his older brother Eddie was hospitalized for a life-threatening ailment. His family needed P80,000 to pay for the operation to save his brother's life. They asked Ferdinand for help but he didn't have the money. He could easily have gotten some "dirty money" from people who would willingly give him more than he needed in exchange for "favors." But he didn't do it. He told his family that he couldn't produce the money needed to save his brother's life.

The eleventh of 13 children of a modest family from Hagonoy, Bulacan, Ferdinand graduated valedictorian in elementary school and completed high school through a scholarship. He couldn't afford to go to college so he took various odd jobs to support himself.

He found an opportunity to enter college for free by applying for a job with the college publication at the University of the East. He was hired as a reporter. He also got a second job as a police beat reporter for Headline Manila. It was at that job that a rare opportunity presented itself. When he went to interview the Commandant of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) who will be featured in the newspaper, somebody handed him an application form for entrance to PMA as a cadet. He applied and was accepted.

He graduated in the PMA Class of 1994 and was commissioned as a Marine officer. He was immediately sent to war in the jungles of Basilan to fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorists as an intelligence officer. He excelled in gathering intelligence and was credited for the capture of Commander Abu Sabaya who masterminded the celebrated kidnapping of 20 tourists at the Dos Palmas resort in 2001.

Interestingly, the PMA Class of 1994 produced rebellious -- but idealistic -- officers, some of whom have banded together under the name of Magdalo. It is no wonder then that his former classmates tried to recruit him into joining Magdalo. He resisted and said, "No." In July 2003, the Magdalo mutinied against the Arroyo government. They failed and were captured and detained.

When retired Gen. Dionisio Santiago, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, took over as Director General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in 2006, he convinced Marcelino to transfer to PDEA. When asked why he recruited Marcelino, he said that Marcelino is incorruptible and can be trusted. He predicted that he'll do good at the agency.

One of Marcelino's first assignments at PDEA was to investigate the case of the missing seven kilos of "shabu" which were kept as evidence in the PDEA storage area. Marcelino teamed up with another agent, Maj. Valentino Lopez, and together they solved the case. They identified the masterminds: two police colonels and a police major!

The duo's next investigation resulted in the discovery of a clandestine "shabu" laboratory in Calumpit, Bulacan operated by Chinese drug lords. Consequently, Marcelino was appointed to head PDEA's Special Enforcement Agency (SEA). As Santiago had predicted before, Marcelino was really doing good at the agency.

On September 20, 2008, Marcelino and his SEA team arrested Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson in a buy-bust sting operation in Quezon City and Ayala Alabang. It turned out that the suspects were scions of rich and well-connected families, one of which was believed to be related to a powerful official in Malacanang. Hence, the suspects were called the "Alabang Boys."

The case turned into big scandal that threatened the integrity of the Department of Justice (DOJ). During a congressional hearing, it was revealed that on December 23, 2008, Felisberto Verano Jr., lawyer of one of the "Alabang Boys" drafted a release order for the "Alabang Boys" using official DOJ stationery and, surprisingly, it easily got through to Secretary Raul Gonzalez for his signature. Although Gonzalez balked at signing the release order, questions were raised as to what made it possible for Verano to get the release order to Gonzalez without being scrutinized and authenticated by his underlings.

In an act of damage control, President Arroyo ordered the indefinite leave of absence of Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño, and State Prosecutors Philip Kimpo, Misael Ladaga, and John Resado. It was Resado who dismissed the case and whom PDEA has alleged to have received the P50-million bribe. According to Santiago, PDEA had a "strong, tight case" against the "Alabang Boys" yet the case was junked for "lack of probable cause." Huh! The "Alabang Boys" were caught in a buy-bust operation! Isn't that enough to establish probable cause?

It is interesting to note that in May 2008, President Arroyo pardoned 18 Magdalo rebels and were subsequently appointed PDEA agents. Santiago assigned the pardoned rebels to Marcelino's SEA.

It must have been fate that brought Marcelino and the Magdalo rebels together at PDEA. Indeed, out of a staff of 900 at PDEA, these few good men could turn the agency around and make it a strong force in the war on drug trafficking.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a retired general, said that he would recommend Marcelino for the Distinguished Service Star, the highest non-combat award to a soldier. However, Marcelino's bright and shining star has already earned its place in the sky. He is a living hero. -- (PerryDiaz@gmail. com)