23/04/2026
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Sammy Uy, A Collateral Damage In The Dirty Game Of Politics!
I had really wanted to stay away from the raging political controversies because I believe it would just distract my focus on my agricultural advocacies.
Yesterday, however, I was shocked to hear the name of an old friend unjustly vilified and destroyed before the whole nation simply because of his friendship with former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Now, I have to go public to defend this man whom I consider a dear friend.
Davao City businessman Sammy Uy was tagged in yesterday's Impeachment hearing as a "Bigtime Drug Lord" who reportedly deposited large sums of money into the bank accounts of members of the Duterte Family, proceeds from drug deals.
Now, I have to make it clear that I could not make any comment on the alleged financial transactions between Sammy and the Dutertes because I have no knowledge if it really ever happened.
I will just focus on Sammy Uy, a friend I had known for so many years who came to my defense when groups of Malacanang insiders wanted to ease me out as Agriculture Secretary by whispering to the President that I was involved in corruption.
It was Sammy who told FPRRD: "Dili na tinuod. Dili man gani na mudawat ug regalo si Manny." (That's not true. Manny doesn't even accept gifts.)
(Sammy's statement was proven true when the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission cleared me of any wrongdoing after a 7-month lifestyle check.)
Now, it is my turn to come to his defense because I know the man.
Yes, Sammy is an old friend of Rody Duterte long before the latter joined politics. Just like Duterte, he does not smoke or drink.
He belongs to an old Filipino-Chinese family which owns one of the oldest Appliance Stores in Davao City, DIMDI, and the pioneering Davao Farms involved in poultry and hogs.
Sammy was the low-key friend who stood beside Rody Duterte and was instrumental in arranging the visit of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to PRRD's home in Dona Luisa Subdivision when he was President.
One of Sammy's Japanese friends happened to be a member of the close-in staff of Prime Minister Abe.
Accusing Sammy of involvement in drugs just to destroy the Duterte Family is simply stretching the political black propaganda beyond what is believable.
Davao City old-timers will attest to the fact that while Sammy was like a brother to Rody Duterte, he did not abuse or take advantage of their friendship when the latter became President.
I would assume Sammy benefited from business dealings because of his closeness to the President but the alleged involvement in drugs is unbelievable.
Being a former politician myself, I fully understand the political game but destroying the reputation of innocent people just to pursue an agenda is abominable and evil.
Politics is a dirty game pero sobra na ito. Nasaan ang konsensya ninyo?
!
(This photo taken during FPRRD's State Visit to Japan, shows Sammy Uy standing in between Prime Minister ABe and President Duterte. I was a member of the Official Philippine Delegation.)
