BOC ‘fixer’ Mark Taguba gets life for drug trafficking

On Nov 27, 2024

Two convicted drug traffickers. Mark Taguba, in orange prison garb (left), sitting beside convicted drug trafficker, Jimmy Guban, during the 12th hearing of the House Quadcomm, November 27, 2024. Taguba was convicted by a Manila RTC last November 18, 2024, for illegal drug importation over the entry of more than P6.4 billion worth of shabu thru the Bureau of Customs in May 2017. The next year, Guban, an entry-level customs intelligence officer, would be detained and convicted in 2019 by the Manila RTC for the same offense of illegal drug importation involving the entry of more than P11 billion worth of shabu (grab from the Quadcomm live hearing).

BUREAU of Customs ‘fixer’ Mark Ruben Taguba and two others have been meted life sentences after being judged beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of drug trafficking (importation of illegal drugs) in an incident that occurred in 2017, involving some 605 kilos of shabu valued at more than P6.4 billion.

In a decision handed down by the Hon. Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa, Branch 46, Manila Regional Trial Court, sentenced along with Taguba are Eirene Mae Tatad and Dong Yi Shen, aka, ‘Kenneth Dong.’ The court also fined each of them P500,000 for each count of offense.

“Every conviction for a crime should only be handed down after proof beyond reasonable doubt of the guilty of the accused for the crime charged has been adduced…In this case, the prosecution was able to discharge its burden of proving the guilt of accused Taguba, Tatad and Dong beyond reasonable doubt,” reads part of the 37-page decision.

The shabu shipment, described as “cutting board, “footwear,” “kitchenware” and “moulds,” arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on May 16, 2017, and transferred to the Hongfei Logistics warehouse in Valenzuela City owned by Zhen in Valenzuela City on May 24.

A timely tip from the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of China’s Customs Agency alerted the authorities to the shipment.

The shabu were found wrapped in 605 plastic bags stashed inside five metal cylinders.

Tatad was the owner of EMT Trading, which was the consignee of the shipment and received a commission of P1,500 per container van released by her company.

Taguba, on the other hand, used his inside connections at the BOC to facilitate its release and his trucking service to transport the container carrying the shabu to the warehouse of Zhen.

“Taguba’s direct involvement in processing and facilitating the shipment’s entry through the BOC is a clear overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy” (to smuggle the shabu), the decision said.

Only last September, the same court found Taguba, Tatad, Dong, and warehouseman Fidel Dee, guilty of smuggling and other violations of customs law in connection with the same shabu shipment.

The brouhaha resulting to this incident would result to the relief of Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon a few months later.