MANILA -- Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Martin Diño on Friday vowed not to tolerate or interfere in the filing of appropriate cases against Manuel Bautista, his brother-in-law, who was arrested in a buy-bust operation last Nov. 11 in Marikina City.
Diño, in a phone interview, confirmed that his brother-in-law was already inquested before the Prosecutor's Office on Nov. 12, without him interferring in the filing of cases.
“Natakot yung pulis nung nalaman na bayaw ko baka sumipa baka ganun na nga mangyayari may procedure lapse na pag buy-bust mukha yatang may problema sila. (The police got scared when they learned that Bautista is my brother-in-law)," he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). “Kung may kasalanan siya, harapin niya yan basta mali. (If he (Bautista) was at fault, he should face it).”
Diño said he will not condone any of his family members even if he is friends with the sitting officials of the DILG and the police. He added that he even filed cases against his brother and nephews when he was still a barangay chairperson in Quezon City.
Aside from Bautista, others arrested during the buy-bust operation were Marife Oishi, 32, and Rafael Pineda 43, both Marikina City residents.
The police also seized four pieces of sealed transparent plastic containing suspected shabu during the operation.
The suspects are now facing violation of Republic Act 9162 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)
