A POLITICIAN from Mindanao allegedly funded the charter flight intended to transport more than P3.54 billion worth of illegal drugs seized in Laos, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spokesman Joseph Frederick Calulut said on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026.
“We already validated na siya yung nagbigay ng pambayad to charter the flight. As to the amount, hindi na muna siguro. Somewhere in Mindanao basta politician from the south na ang kanyang political party ay against the current administration (We have already validated that he was the one who provided the money to charter the flight. As for the amount, perhaps we should not disclose it for now. He is somewhere in Mindanao, a politician from the south whose political party is opposed to the current administration),” Calulut told reporters in a phone interview.
Laotian authorities seized 521 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, at Luang Prabang International Airport on Oct. 1.
A Filipino national identified by the PDEA as Fahad was among those arrested in connection with the incident.
The drugs were reportedly packed in several suitcases and were aboard a private jet intended to transport the shipment to the Philippines.
The shipment was discovered after the pilot refused to carry the baggage, prompting the charter company to cancel the flight.
Fahad is reportedly a resident of Marawi City.
The PDEA is continuing its investigation to establish Fahad’s links and identify his accomplices in the Philippines. /TPM