Mr. Mark Taguba apologizes to Hon. Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, to clears them from drug smuggling, MUST READ..

Mr. Mark Ruben Taguba II has justified the presidential son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio for the "fake news" circulating that the two were involved in the P6.4-billion shipment of illegal drugs that went past the inspection of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Taguba, in a statement on Friday, cleared Duterte and Carpio from any corrupt activities within the Customs. Taguba is the broker tagged as one of those who facilitated the shipment of 605 kilograms of drugs from Xiamen, China. He denied that he knew that the container he delivered had drugs inside.

"I am making this statement to clear Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Manse Carpio from any involvement in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country, and any anomalies in the Bureau of Customs, "he said.  "I also hereby apologize to Vice Mayor Duterte, Atty. Carpio and to the first family for the proliferation of false news arising out of my testimony at the Senate yesterday, "he said.

He also belied "false news deviously spread on social media" in connection with his testimony during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Thursday.

"I wish to categorically make it clear that: 1. I had never testified, nor will I ever testify that Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and / or Atty. Manse Carpio were involved in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country. Neither have I testified, nor will I ever testify that the aforementioned individuals were involved in the 'Tara System' that was in place at the Bureau of Customs, "he said.
Taguba maintained that the alleged involvement of Duterte and Carpio are "hearsay in nature."

"The names of Vice Mayor Duterte and or Atty. Manases Carpio was just mentioned by the 'Davao Group' whose direct contacts to me were 'Tita Nannie' and 'Jack.' As I had repeatedly stated before Congress and the Senate, the alleged involvement of the aforementioned individuals is hearsay in nature, " he said. In earlier hearings Taguba said he was Davao City Councilor Nilo "Small" Abellera Jr. in Davao last January where the latter asked him to pay P5 million so he could seek protection from Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, President Rodrigo Duterte's son.

Taguba said he first met with "Tita Nannie" from the BOC in a Quezon City mall. He said Tita Nannie instructed her to give an "enrollment fee" worth P5 million to the Davao Group.