THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) has identified a former Bangsamoro lawmaker as one of the suspected masterminds behind an alleged attempt to smuggle P3.5 billion worth of illegal drugs from Laos to the Philippines, prompting the House of Representatives to seek answers on the shipment’s possible links to the country.
In a briefing, PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez told the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs on Thursday that evidence gathered by investigators pointed to former Bangsamoro Parliament member Edriezan Hadji Nasser Rimbang, also known as ‘Sultan,’ as a key player in the operation, citing affidavits obtained by the National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
‘Not as a mere financier, but among the key players, the mastermind,’ Nerez said in response to a question from Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal on whether Rimbang had emerged as the main person of interest in the investigation.
Nerez said authorities had yet to interview Rimbang or obtain his affidavit, as investigators were still gathering statements from other individuals before approaching him.
Rimbang was appointed to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019. He later ran under PDP-Laban, the political party associated with the Duterte family, in the 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections but lost.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla previously acknowledged Rimbang’s longstanding political ties to the Duterte family but stressed that investigators had found no evidence linking the family to the drug shipment.
Nerez said investigators had gathered evidence indicating the alleged involvement of Rimbang and Abdulkarim Macalatas, identified as the intended recipient of the shipment in Manila. However, authorities still need transaction records involving Police MSgt. Aileen Jayne Manalo Mendoza, former airline pilot Rioklyn Pizarras Toledo and the Malaysian company that provided the chartered aircraft.
Investigators are also seeking information to support cyber warrant applications and official investigation records from Laos. Nerez said the documents must be transmitted through official government channels to ensure they can be used as evidence in Philippine courts. He welcomed the Department of Justice’s offer to help secure the records through the Office of the State Counsel.
The case stemmed from the October 1 seizure of 521 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth some P3.5 billion at Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos. The drugs were allegedly bound for Manila aboard a chartered private jet. The PNP-CIDG has invited at least 21 individuals to provide statements, while Philippine authorities continue to establish the shipment’s possible local connections.
Amid the investigation, the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairperson, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony G. Santos called for a coordinated inquiry into the reported drug seizures and arrests in Laos and Thailand, including allegations that the intercepted shipments were intended for the Philippines.
Santos said the committee would first conduct a preliminary briefing before proceeding with an inquiry in aid of legislation, allowing concerned agencies to finalize their reports without compromising ongoing investigations. The panel is seeking to establish whether the incidents involved Filipino nationals and possible connections to local drug trafficking networks.
‘We must act with urgency but also with care and responsibility,’ Santos said during the briefing, emphasizing the need to distinguish verified facts from information supplied by foreign counterparts, analytical assessments and allegations still under investigation.
‘We should neither dismiss a serious report nor treat an allegation as an established fact,’ he said, urging authorities to clearly identify what had been confirmed and what still required verification.
Santos said the committee would examine whether existing laws, border safeguards, intelligence-sharing arrangements and interagency coordination mechanisms were sufficient to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country. The inquiry will look into possible gaps in intelligence-sharing, air and maritime border monitoring, investigative follow-ups and cooperation with foreign authorities.
He stressed that the committee’s oversight role was not to replace law enforcement investigations or determine the guilt of individual suspects, but to identify weaknesses in the government’s response. Any proposed legislation, Santos said, must address deficiencies established by evidence, whether these stem from inadequate laws, unclear procedures, insufficient resources or coordination failures.
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Deputy Customs Commissioner for Intelligence Emmanuel Luis Licup told the committee that Lao authorities had intercepted the suspected shabu and seized the aircraft used to transport it. Several Malaysian, Filipino, Singaporean and Laotian nationals were reportedly detained. Licup said Philippine agencies were still assessing whether the incident was connected to individuals or entities in the country.
He stressed that the reported Philippine destination remained unverified pending documentary evidence from foreign counterparts. The shipment did not reach the Philippines, and no notice of arrival was filed with the Bureau of Customs. Authorities are also investigating possible local recipients, financiers, facilitators and contacts.
Separately, Nerez reported that a vessel originating from Thailand was intercepted in the West Philippine Sea in September by personnel from Pdea, the Navy (PN) and the Coast Guard (PCG). The vessel reportedly returned to Thailand, where authorities subsequently seized it along with its illegal drug cargo.
Santos urged participating agencies to present their verified findings, actions taken and pending investigative matters while protecting sensitive information and the rights of those concerned. He also called for timely intelligence sharing, coordinated border protection and financial investigations, along with the immediate implementation of preventive measures already authorized under existing laws.
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