MANILA - The camp of Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino believes his arrest is meant to undermine the integrity and advocacy of the former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) official.

Marcelino's lawyer, Dennis Manalo lamented the agency's immediate presentation of his client to the media as a suspect when the drug bust in Sta. Cruz, Manila "was a simultaneous yet uncoordinated investigation between Marcelino and PDEA."

Manalo said Marcelino only acted on a tip about the illegal drugs laboratory from Chinese national Yan Yi Shuo, who was also arrested during the raid.

"For this particular instance, there was a tip not from an unknown source. It was a tip from a documented action agent or tipster of the PDEA named 'Randy' or Yan Yi Shuo who was his translator," he said in an interview on ANC's Headstart.

Manalo added Marcelino even notified PDEA earlier about the tip but received a negative response from the agency.

He also clarified that Shuo, not Marcelino, had the key to the raided townhouse when the anti-drug operations took place.

"The tipster had access to the house because he had known people in Ongpin who are somehow connected with or have information about the activities in the house...He was able to penetrate and get the trust and confidence of the people who were operating the shabu laboratory. That is what a drug informant was supposed to do," Manalo said.

The lawyer pointed out that one of the arresting officers even recognized Marcelino during the drug bust, and that his client was only nabbed when PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac arrived at the scene.

"It was just a split second, because as soon as they entered the townhouse, they noticed that they couldn't switch on the light. And so Colonel Marcelino immediately instructed the tipster, 'can you please go to the security guard and request that the electricity be provided.' But at that point the raiding team already went in and with guns, telling them 'Dapa! Dapa! Dapa!' And so they complied. And so when everything was cleared up, one of the arresting officers recognized Marcelino and said 'Sir, tayo ka. Hindi ka namin nakilala, pasensya na, sir.' So pinatayo siya and he was allowed to step out. And at that point that is where he explained why he was there, present. Sabi niya 'I was also acting on tip.' And obviously they understood why he was there because he was not being arrested," Manalo narrated.

But things changed when Cacdac arrived at the scene, claimed Manalo.

"Sabi nga sa'kin ni Colonel Marcelino, 'you know at that point I thought General Cacdac would be congratulating me and telling me that, o nauna ka pa sa amin dito may information ka rin pala about this area.' But to his shock and dismay, Director Cacdac had a different attitude to him and said 'arestuhin 'yang taong 'yan," he said.

Manalo added that "nobody wanted to arrest Colonel Marcelino because everybody knows that he is an anti-drug undercover operative."

Doubting the timing of the operation, Manalo also noted that the police's search warrant was dated January 16 but was only enforced on January 21 at around 1 a.m. when Marcelino checked the townhouse.

Although Marcelino is now on a different assignment as a superintendent at the Navy Officer Candidate School in Zambales, Manalo said the former PDEA official remains passionate in his crusade against illegal drug trade in the country.

"The military organization has already certified the activities of Colonel Marcelino as a person who has been tasked to gather information about anti-illegal drugs in the country. They have already issued that certification," he said.

Manalo believes Marcelino's dedication to curbing illegal drug activities has led to the recent setback against the officer, considering that he led a number of big-time drug busts in the past.

In addition, he said Marcelino has also been a staunch critic of the current PDEA leadership in light of the worsening drug incidents in the country.

“Drug syndicates have even gone to the extent of kidnapping the daughter of Marcelino. It’s something that is known in the drug enforcement community, hindi ito pinagusapan. That’s why nobody believes,” he said.

“Marcelino has penetrated deeply the very core of the drug trade. If you will remember even in the National Bilibid when they conducted the raid there with the DOJ, when Secretary de Lima was still heading the Department, he was there providing the information, he was there assisting, gathering, attending all these case conferences,” he added.

Conveying Marcelino's call, Manalo urged the public, especially drug victims, to extend their support for the former PDEA official's case.

"Magsalita po kayo, magpakita po kayo dahil po ang inyong nag-iisa na taong willing ibigay ang kanyang buhay para sa kampanyang ito ay ngayon ay pinararatangan ng walang base," he said.