Vice Gov. Leviste denies knowing lessee on family ranch was Mexican drug cartel

Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste said Wednesday that he had no knowledge that among the lessees on a property co-owned by his family was an alleged Mexican drug cartel.

The Leviste family is part-owner of LPL Estate in Barangay Inosluban, Lipa City, Batangas, where P420 million worth of shabu was seized and alleged members of the Sinaloa drug syndicate were nabbed by authorities last month.

Leviste said the property is extensive and the family is unable able to monitor the daily activities of all the tenants.

“Yung LPL Estate kung saan nakitaan ng maraming droga ay pag-aari ng isang korporasyon kung saan ang aming pamilya ay isang bahagi. Ang LPL Estate ay malawak na lupain kung saan ang aming pamilya ay isa lamang sa nagmamay-ari. Marami ang nakatira dito,” Leviste said in an interview with Unang Hirit.

However, Leviste added that he does not know the exact size of the property.

Among those who own homes in the estate are Senator Ralph Recto and Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, Senator Loren Legarda, and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

"Marami na pong nakabili ng lupa dito at nakapagpatayo ng bahay at hindi lang po kami,” he said.

He added that Cito Beltran and Joji Araneta also have farm lots in the estate where they breed fighting cocks and horses.

“Nagkataon na yung lupa na nakitaan ng droga ay pinaupa ng korporasyon, kung saan ang aming pamilya ay bahagi kung kaya yung tenant sa lugar ay hindi Leviste. Hindi miyembro ng aming pamilya kundi isang lessee o nangungupahan lamang po,” he reiterated.

No involvement

Leviste also denied any involvement in the family corporation.

“Ako mismo bilang miyembro ng pamilya ay hindi miyembro o pinuno ng korporasyon at hindi rin po ako involved sa family business,” he said.

He said the lessee, a certain Jorge Gomez Torres, introduced himself to the corporation as a breeder of fighting cocks.

“[Sinabi niya na uupa siya] para magbreed ng fighting cocks. So the corporation or the office probably accepted the lease or payment in good faith,” he said.

Torres reportedly left the country two weeks before the raid was carried out.

Asked why the corporation was not able to monitor activities on the land they own, Leviste said, “Marami silang tenants, maraming umuupa. Hindi namin namomonitor ang daily activites nila.”

Leviste, however, maintained that their family will not tolerate illegal activities within their properties.

“Hindi ako nakikialam sa family corporation o business pero ang tinitiyak ko hindi namin kinukunsinti ang mga gawaing ganito o ilegal na gawain at kami ay makikipag-ugnayan, makikipag-cooperate para sa agarang pagresolba ng kasong ito because we want an immediate prosecution on any suspect involved in this drug case,” he said.

Representatives

Despite receiving a summons from the Department of Justice, Leviste said he will not personally attend the preliminary investigation of the case at the DOJ Thursday afternoon.

He said he will be represented by his lawyers.

“Ako ay nakatanggap ng summons sa Huwebes, 2 p.m. Ako ay kumunsulta sa aking mga abugado at sila ang magiging representative ko sa hearing sapagkat ito ay legal issue,” he said.

“Wine-welcome namin ang subpoena o summons dahil nais namin mag-cooperate sa authorities. Gusto ko linawin na ang pag-imbita sa akin sa DOJ ay hindi ibig sabihin na ako ay akusado o suspek. Mismong si [Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro] Navera ang naglinaw na kami ay hindi respondent. Plain witnesses kami para makatulong at sakaling makapagbigay linaw sa imbestigasyon,” said Leviste.

The DOJ also sent a summons to Leviste's uncle, homicide convict and former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste.

Mexican drug cartel

The police conducted a three-month surveillance operation on the alleged drug lair before the raid on the ranch.

Authorities nabbed three suspected members of the Mexican drug ring, identified as Gary Tan alias "Chua" and Filipinos Argay Argenos and Rochelle Argenos. Tan supposedly had connections with Torres.

Mexican nationals with aliases Jaime and Joey, believed to be the group's conduit to the cartel, have yet to be arrested.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency refused to give further information about the Mexican drug cartel “so as not to compromise any follow-up operations,” according to the PDEA public information office.

Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima earlier said the PNP is still investigating how the cartel was able to penetrate the country.

“We are still in the process of determining what is the history behind the arrest of these people. Are there any other group members operating? That is also part of our investigation,” Purisima said.

He said various nationalities are currently operating drug rings in the country.

“One is the Mexican [drug cartel]. Meron din tayong mga Chinese. There are other nationalities who are here pero hindi sila ganun ka-organized but so many nationalities are here. Minsan part of a bigger organization pero sila pala ay kasama sa West African. So halo-halo. ‘Yung investigation natin is ongoing,” he said.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's most notorious drug trafficking organizations, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's report to the US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control in May 2010.

The New York Times reported in June 2012 that the Sinaloa Cartel has an estimated market share of 40 to 60 percent of the illegal drug trade in the US. It said the cartel is active in more than a dozen countries.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration said the Sinaloa cartel was established 39 years ago and “has evolved into one of the largest organized crime syndicates in the world.” The cartel was also responsible for the upsurge in violence in Mexico because of its desire to expand.

“The spread of the Sinaloa Cartel is a direct threat to the safety and security of law-abiding citizens everywhere. The money generated from their sales of illegal drugs is used to fund other criminal activities, extending their violent enterprises further into our heartland,” DEA acting administrator Michele Leonhart said in a press conference in 2009. — Amita O. Legaspi/BM, GMA News