Ex-BARMM MP Rimbang to appear before PDEA probe into Laos drug shipment on Nov. 5

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Former Bangsamoro parliament member Edrieza Hadji Nasser Rimbang is expected to appear before the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on November 5, the agency said Thursday.

Rimbang has been linked to the attempted smuggling of P3.5-billion illegal drugs from Laos to the Philippines.

“The lawyers of Sultan Rimbang came to our office the other day and they committed to present him sa opisina po natin on November 5,” PDEA spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut told reporters in an phone patch interview.

(The lawyers of Sultan Rimbang came to our office the other day and they committed to present him on November 5.)

Rimbang is one of the 11 persons of interest in the case who received a subpoena from authorities. Two persons of interest have yet to report to authorities.

According to Calulut, the lawyers did not explain why Rimbang failed to immediately appear at the PDEA’s office amid allegations that the he was the alleged financier and mastermind in the drug smuggling operation.

Calulut said PDEA continues to consider Rimbang a suspected mastermind behind the drug shipment based on the evidence available to investigators.

“Based on the evidence on hand, he appears to be the mastermind. Hindi lang siya financial. Pero we are still waiting for him to come to our office to give his statement para at least 'yung statement niya, hindi lang pang-social media. Dito na, mas maganda naka-affidavit na ‘to siya,” he said.

(Based on the evidence on hand, he appears to be the mastermind. He's not just for financial. But we are still waiting for him to come to our office to give his statement so at least his statement is not just for social media. Here, it's better if he has an affidavit.)

PDEA has documents and other evidence indicating that Rimbang provided the money for the shipment, according to Calulut.

He said the agency was still checking Rimbang's background and possible previous links to illegal drugs.

Earlier, Rimbang denied involvement in the attempted smuggling.

“Wala po itong katotohanan (there is no truth to this),” he said in a video posted on his social media page.

On October 1, Lao authorities thwarted P3.5 billion in illegal drugs on a private plane headed to the Philippines. —AOL, GMA News