BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A prominent Bacolod City businessman has been cleared from any involvement in illegal drug activities, as recommended by the Inter Agency Drug Information Database Committee, which was also approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, in his issued memorandum order dated August 11 this year, has certified that the name of businessman Ricardo “Cano” Tan, also a former councilor of Bacolod City, has been removed or delisted from the Inter-Agency Drug Information database pursuant to the recommendation, review, evaluation, and management of Inter-Agency Drug Information Database Committee, approved by President Duterte through a memorandum dated July 31, 2021.
Tan thanked President Duterte for speaking the truth about his innocence that will ultimately help expunge all allegations, doubts, and intrigues fabricated against him formed in fake news.
In December 2018, Tan, who owns the well-known Campuestuhan Highland Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, and his wife. Nita, were both hurt during an ambush in Barangay Alangilan, Bacolod City. Both survived the attack.
About a month after the ambush, Duterte linked Tan in the illegal drug trade, allegedly being protected by sacked Senior Supt. Francis Ebreo, then director of the Bacolod City Police Office, who was also cleared later by the PNP and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on any involvement in illegal drug activities
After the validation and revalidation conducted by the Inter-Agency task force as indicated in the certification issued by then B/Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, former Police Regional Office 6 director, Tan said that the Inter-Agency Task Force has recommended clearing his name from all forms of illegal drug activities, where President Duterte gave his approval on the matter, he added.
“This is it. The President has spoken. He gave me my absolute freedom. I stand proud now before the public as a vindicated man, Tan stressed during a press conference at his resort in Talisay City on October 23.
“Justice has been served, and the buck stops here”, Tan also said, stressing that his success was attained through the decent and legal way.
To those who made this worst on me and my family, I beg you to please, let me be your last victim. You have done your worst on me and my family. And now, let me continue to do my best for my family and the people of Bacolod City, Tan, who is running as an independent candidate for councilor of Bacolod City, in the May next year elections, said.*
