Kenneth Dong moved to Parañaque jail

Kenneth Dong, a businessman linked to the shipment of P6.4-billion worth of shabu from China, has been transferred from the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to that of the Parañaque City Jail, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Monday.

Dong's transfer on Sunday came after Judge Aida Estrella Macapagal of the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court Branch 195 issued a commitment order following his arrest at the Senate on August 15 for a separate case, this one involving his alleged rape of a businesswoman in April 2016.

Aguirre said they have yet to receive reports about threats on Dong's life.

Dong is one of nine persons charged by the NBI with the importation of dangerous drugs in connection with the 602.2 kilograms of shabu that were seized by  a joint  NBI and Customs team from a warehouse in Valenzuela City on May 26.

A separate complaint for violation of Section 28 of Republic Act 9280 or the Customs Brokers Act of 2004 was also filed against Dong, businessman Manny Li (Li Guang Feng) and Mark Ruben Taguba II for their unauthorized practice of customs broking.

Dong allegedly acted as a middleman for Chen Ju Long alias Richard Chen or Richard Tan, the Chinese businessman who owns the Hongfei Logistics warehouse where the contraband was found.

Aguirre said no one among those implicated in the shabu mess has expressed interest to be placed under the Witness Protection Program.

The Justice chief had said Dong can turn state witness in the cases if he is found to be the least culpable among the nine.

"Such a fact has yet to be established," Aguirre said. —Virgil Lopez/KBK/KVD, GMA News