Former Batangas Governor Antonio Leviste getting out of the Muntinlupa Bilibid Prison Friday (Dec. 6) as he was one of the 40 prisoners who were given parole this year. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – A month after he was released from prison, convicted killer and former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste on Thursday appeared before the Department of Justice to testify on the reported operation of a powerful Mexican drug cartel in the Philippines.
Clad in a blue polo and accompanied by his lawyer, Leviste, who was granted parole last November after almost five years behind bars, arrived around 2 p.m. at the DOJ office in Manila.
The proceedings, led by Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, were ongoing as of presstime.
DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima had earlier said Leviste will be asked to produce the lease contract of the LPL Ranch located in Barangay Inosluban in Lipa City, Batangas, where P420 million in illegal drugs was seized by authorities last month.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) said the illegal drugs recovered from the ranch can be traced to the Mexican Sinoloa drug ring, which has been tagged by international media as Mexico’s most powerful drug syndicate. (MNS)