'Shabu shipment' consignee fears for safety, misses Senate probe

MANILA - The consignee of 4 magnetic lifters that allegedly contained P11 billion worth of shabu missed a Senate inquiry into the issue on Thursday out of fear for her safety.

The magnetic lifters passed Customs inspection and were found empty inside a warehouse in Cavite province in August, days after authorities seized billions worth of shabu from similar containers at the Manila port.

Marina Signapan, owner of SMYD trading, claimed in previous hearings that she was paid P180,000 to be the consignee of the Cavite lifters.

Signapan failed to attend the inquiry's resumption as "she [has] been feeling weak during the past few days given the threat to her safety," said her lawyer Katrina Talon.

Talon said several Cavite policemen raided her client's house 2 weeks ago, just a day after she attended a Customs investigation into the shabu shipment.

The officers, she said, presented a search warrant from a Laguna judge and claimed a tipster informed them of the presence of illegal firearms and ammunition in Signapan's house.

"As far as we know, there is no case or investigation ongoing pertaining to handguns or ammunition," said Talon, adding that the officers did not find any contraband.

Signapan has since noticed several unidentified men watching her house and tailing her, added the lawyer.

ANC, 30 October 2018