Eduardo Acierto, a former cop under the Philippine National Police’s Drug Enforcement Group, has resurfaced to challenge government officials to take action on his intelligence report linking President Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts to illegal drugs.

Acierto had been hiding for three years after being linked to illegal drugs, illegal selling of high-powered firearms and the slaying of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

In a recorded video released by Rappler and Philstar, Acierto urged Sen. Richard Gordon and members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to publicize his report on former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and Allan Lim.

“Kung hindi tinago ang report ko kay [Yang] at [Lim], hindi nangyari ang korupsyon ng Pharmally. Walang nanakaw na pera ng bayan. Hindi nalagay sa panganib ang buhay ng health workers dahil sa delayed, substandard o expired na face masks at face shield,” he said in the video.

“Wala po akong planong magtago o tumakas o hindi panindigan ang aking intelligence report,” he said.

Gordon: Blue Ribbon Committee did not block report

Gordon’s office on Monday denied that he blocked the release of Acierto’s report.

“We take exception to Acierto’s new claim that the corruption involving Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation would not have happened had the Senate blue ribbon committee did not block his report on Mr. Duterte’s economic adviser Michael Yang and Allan Lim’s alleged link with illegal drug operations in the country,” his camp’s statement read.

“That is not accurate. No report or testimony was ever blocked from being displayed to the public,” it added.

The senator’s camp said he had asked Acierto to present his documents and subject them to cross-examination before the Senate but he suddenly went incommunicado.

Acierto said he went into hiding as he was afraid for his life.

“We nonetheless confirm that Acierto, through an emissary in the Senate, is now ‘more than willing’ to testify on Yang’s alleged drug involvement in the course of the current investigation on the alleged anomalous transactions on the use of the pandemic funds,” Gordon’s office said.

Malacañang on the other hand branded Acierto anew as a liar.

“Naku, sinabi na po ni presidente sa isang Talk to the People – sinungaling po iyang si Acierto at hindi dapat paniwalaan. Iyan po ay nanggaling na sa bibig mismo ng presidente, iyan po ang pananaw ng ating presidente,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro