Finally, justice for Cano Tan-2

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

The pursuit of his effort to be cleared of the charge that he is a drug lord, took months of a long process of verification, validation and revalidation as President Duterte ordered. The President gave due course to the search for clearance after he was convinced of the appeal of Nita and Siote and the truth. Cano did not reveal what the two told the President, but suffice to say the President listened and issued a direct order.

The President must have felt the trauma of Cano and his family due to the ambush of December 2018 (not 2019 as erroneously written yesterday) that he ordered a thorough inquiry.

However, despite the order of the President and persistent follow-up of Cano’s lawyer, the various agencies in the issuance of the certification clearing him of the charge took months to decide. This is understandable because the order of the President was clear – validate, revalidate. There can be no slips, and that is well for Cano who seeks vindication. It was, however an agonizing wait.

During the press conference, we learned that several law enforcement agencies are involved in the process. Among them are the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Philippine Army. This means a very thorough investigation, the result which had to be validated by the joint committee, and to be certain there is no error whatsoever, the findings of the investigation had to be revalidated.

Cano Tan distributed copies of the certification issued by PNP Regional Director, PBrig Gen Rene Pamuspusan that Tan received in August last year. The conclusion of the certification was clear and precise: “Please be informed that as per report from the concerned offices under my jurisdiction, the information allegedly linking you and your family in the illegal drug trade has not been substantiated by concrete evidence as of this date.”

It was with great relief that he said at the end of his statement, “Now, I can close this chapter of my life with one simple message. Yes, it is good to be back home. God is good all the time. All the time God is good. Thank God I’m alive. Thank God for the truth! Finally, Justice! Yes, justice has been served.”

His road to this day of vindication was long and arduous. While Tan charged that loose talks, fake news, diversionary tactics and falsehood caused his ordeal, the people of Bacolod remembers that about a month after the ambush, President Rodrigo Duterte linked Tan in the illegal drug trade.

The President made this pronouncement during his speech at the birthday party on January 12, 2019 and repeated the allegations before the media in Manila that Tan was the drug lord being protected by sacked Bacolod Police chief Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo.

The President’s statements in effect justified the ambush as far as the public was concerned. But as events developed, the President was misinformed and it is to his credit that he listened to the family explain their source of income and the circumstances of their lives. The President kept an open mind and directed the validation of the allegations, and to be certain, to revalidate the information.

Cano Tan expressed his gratitude to President Duterte because if not for the presidential intervention, the case of Cano and his ambush would never have been resolved.

It is now shown that the allegations against Cano Tan were manufactured by demonic minds, for what reason and purpose we don’t know but there are many speculations about it.

During his press conference, Cano mentioned that there are people who are envious of his successes and “did not want a poor boy from Dawis to prosper.” Dawis is a barangay mostly of the low-income people of Bacolod. Here he grew up and by sheer hard work and business acumen, he was able to build business enterprises that include several auto supply stores that he said are one of the biggest in the city. He opened the Sinugba Restaurant with a few tables and chairs that became famous. He did not say why he closed it, but I know why, but that is not for this column.

We continue on Monday.