INQUIRER.net US BureauLOS ANGELES – Three people accused of being part of an in-ternational drug trafficking ring are in custody on federal charges alleging they used the Darknet to obtain drugs and of-fer narcotics for sale, and then shipped pound quantities of methamphetamine to buyers in the Philippines, New Zealand, Poland and other foreign desti-nations. The case is the result of an investigation led by U.S. Immi-gration and Customs Enforce-ment’s (ICE) Homeland Secu-rity Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, with substantial assis-tance from the U.S. Secret Ser-vice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. An eight-count indictment returned on March 22 by a federal grand jury charges the three defendants with conspir-acy to distribute methamphet-

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Duterte must explain wealth

– Sereno

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Jolo bombing‘facilitator’ killed

in Sulu clashBy: Nestor Corrales

MANILA, Philippines — Presi-dent Rodrigo Duterte on Tues-day said the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) would “never gain a foothold” in the Philippines as he promised to continue the Armed Forces of the Philip-pines’ Modernization Program. In his Day of Valor speech in Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Sulu, Duterte lauded the mili-tary’s accomplishments against the Abu Sayyaf Group, a known ally of the ISIS. “I am especially pleased with our military’s recent accom-plishments against the Abu Sayyaf Group. Your efforts have brought us even closer to our ul-timate objective of totally crush-

ing the violent extremism at its roots,” he said, “With this, I can confidently declare that ISIS will never gain a foothold anywhere in the Phil-ippines,” he added. While admitting that the

ISIS was a cause of concern of the government, the President assured the public the military would fight the terrorist group. “Well, of course, there is the ISIS that we have to worry here

By: Julie M. Aurelio, Nestor P. Burgos Jr.

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has the duty to explain the significant increases in his family’s earnings instead of saying it was nobody’s busi-ness, former Chief Justice Ma-ria Lourdes Sereno said here on Monday. On the sidelines of a voter education forum on the Uni-versity of the Philippines Vi-sayas campus, Sereno said the explanation was more nec-essary amid allegations that members of the President’s family were involved in ille-gal drugs. “I believe that we (govern-ment officials) should display a simple lifestyle. If an official is suspiciously wealthy, there should be an explanation. And the explanation should be made public,” Sereno said. A three-part report by the Philippine Center for Inves-tigative Journalism (PCIJ) found significant increases in the incomes of the Presi-dent and his children, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, while they were in office. Using data curated from his statements of assets, li

Please turn to page 13 Filipina, 2 others in LA charged in Darknet meth sale to buyers in PH, other countries

By: Edwin O. FernandezCOTABATO CITY, Philippines — One of the facilitators of the bombing of the Jolo cathedral last January was killed during law enforcement operations in Patikul, Sulu on Monday, the military reported. Colonel Gerry Besana, speak-ing for Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said government troops, led by Lt. Colonel Alaric Avelino delos Santos, clashed with 40 mem-bers of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) under Almujer Yada in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu around 3:30 p.m.on Monday. The 40-minute firefight result-ed in the death of Barak Ingog, who was tagged by the military as one of the facilitators of the bombing of the cathedral in Jolo

amine and substantive drug trafficking offenses. The defen-dants are: Michael Alan Goldberg, 34, of Panorama City, who allegedly directed the conspiracy, even af-ter being taken into federal cus-tody in June 2018;Donnica Mae Rabulan, 31, a Fili-pina, of Panorama City; who is Goldberg’s wife, and

James Caleb Kueker, 41, of the Hollywood Hills.Rabulan, who in addition to the conspiracy charge faces four counts of distribut-ing metham-p h e t a m i n e , was arraigned Monday after-noon in U.S. District Court. Kueker, who

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Locsin says no to Paolo Duterte showing his tattoo: ‘Manigas na

silang lahat’

By: Neil Arwin Mercado MANILA, Philippines — For-eign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday gave a piece of his mind on whether presidential son Paolo Duterte should show his tattoo allegedly linking him to illegal drug

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also is charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute ketamine, as well as with one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was also arraigned on Monday. Rabulan and Kueker each entered not guilty pleas and were ordered to stand trial June 4.