Gutierrez Denies False Claims by Convicted Drug Trafficker at Congressional Hearing

During the Quadcomm hearing before Congress today, Mr. Jimmy Guban, a former customs intelligence officer convicted of drug trafficking in 2018, made a series of erroneous and unfounded statements about Paul Gutierrez, the current Undersecretary of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMs) and a reporter and columnist for People’s Tonight. Guban’s claims were promptly refuted by Gutierrez, who denounced the accusations as false and baseless.

Guban alleged that Gutierrez had connections with several high-profile individuals, including members of the Duterte family, Atty. Mans Carpio, and Michael Yang. Gutierrez strongly denied any personal or professional relationships with these individuals, affirming that no such connections exist.

Further compounding the inaccuracies, Guban claimed that Michael Yang is a member of the National Press Club. According to Gutierrez, Yang has never been affiliated with the NPC, making this claim entirely false.

Guban also alleged that Gutierrez confronted him at the Senate detention center and made threats. However, Gutierrez clarified that, as a reporter covering customs and Senate affairs, he was simply fulfilling his role by attending relevant hearings and checking on Guban’s health. Gutierrez noted that visits to Senate detainees are strictly regulated, requiring authorization from the committee chair and proper reporting of any interactions.

Addressing Guban’s suggestion that he might have threatened Guban on behalf of unknown parties, Gutierrez questioned the plausibility of such an assertion. He pointed out that any alleged misconduct would have been reported to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which could have led to his exclusion from covering Senate proceedings.

Gutierrez recounted a single visit to Guban, intended to verify his health status amid rumors of feigned illness and to check if a former NPC officer, now unconnected with any newspaper but seen at Senate hearings, was acting as Guban’s PR representative. Guban did not respond to this inquiry.

In conclusion, Gutierrez expressed frustration over Guban’s baseless accusations and called for an investigation into those who might have influenced his testimony. Emphasizing his clear conscience, Gutierrez remained undeterred by the falsehoods.

“The truth must always align with the evidence,” Gutierrez stated. “Guban has consistently shown himself to be dishonest, and lawmakers should be wary of accepting his statements without proper evidence.”