PNP URGED TO THROW BOOK AT PASIG MAYOR

THROW the book at him.

Senator Panfilo Lacson yesterday urged the Philippine National Police
to file criminal charges against Mayor Vicente Eusebio for ordering
Wednesday's demolition of the "shabu supermarket" near his office in
Pasig City.

A former PNP chief, Lacson said Eusebio should be charged not just
with obstruction of justice but also with violation of the Dangerous
Drugs Act. The anti-drugs law penalizes the cover-up and destruction
of evidence in drug cases.

"Very clearly, very obviously, (Eusebio) violated certain provisions
of the Dangerous Drugs Act ... Not only obstruction of justice. It's
very clear that with the demolition, evidence was destroyed," Lacson
said.

"The investigation of the anti-drugs unit that conducted the raid is
not yet finished, why would you destroy the place? The place itself is
the actual evidence of the crime," he said.

Lacson said Eusebio should have cleared the demolition with police
investigators since the compound, located less than a kilometer from
City Hall, still contained evidence like tooters and other drug
paraphernalia.

On Wednesday, workers using a payloader, crowbars, hammers and saws
leveled at least 53 shanties that had been converted into "shabu
restaurants" in Mapayapa compound in Barangay Sto. Tomas.

The demolition, on Eusebio's orders, came five days after a PNP
special task force swooped down on the area and arrested more than 300
persons, including pregnant women and children. The compound had been
declared off limits, but city officials claimed no police officers
were posted there to guard it.

The compound still looked like a garbage dump yesterday. Scavengers
combed the ruins for pillows, plastic and pieces of wood. A backhoe
scooped debris and loaded it onto garbage trucks.

Senate Probe

Senator Manuel Villar, chair of the Senate committee on public order
and illegal drugs, said Eusebio might be liable if it were proven that
the demolition also destroyed vital evidence.

"I think Eusebio was just showing that he is adamant and he does not
tolerate the operation of shabu (dens) in his city," he said.

Villar also said his committee would investigate next week not just
the "shabu supermarket" in Pasig but also the status of the government
drive against the drug menace.

"This will be the start of our investigation into the whole problem of
illegal drugs in the entire country. We believe that what we saw in
Pasig is just a small aspect of this large problem of illegal drugs in
the Philippines," he said.

"There might be more shabu supermarkets that may even surpass
Shoemart," Villar said, referring to one of the country's largest malls.

Palace Cautious

Malacanang's reaction to the Pasig affair was also cautious.

"I think the mayor meant well and wanted to do a symbolic gesture in
bringing down a physical structure. But in so doing, he may have
destroyed evidence that may be crucial in the ongoing investigation of
the police," said Michael Defensor, presidential chief of staff.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the National Bureau of
Investigation was conducting its own inquiry.

"The mere fact that there was a demolition could mean that either
there is a cover-up or that they have already gathered enough evidence
to strengthen their case," Gonzalez said. If it is established that
Eusebio suppressed evidence he would be liable as an accessory.

Eusebio maintained the demolition of the shabu restaurants was legal
and he would cooperate with any investigation.

"We are ready to face them in court," legal officer Carlos Abesamis
told the Inquirer.

City Defends Move

"The neighbors had been asking the mayor to destroy the structures to
erase the stigma already attached to the community," Abesamis said.

He said the demolition was legal, citing the Civil Code, which states
that the government has the authority to demolish structures which
pose an imminent danger to the community.

He also denied the operation had caused the destruction of
evidence.

"We took some precautions in case the court would want to visualize
the real situation on the ground. Before the demolition, we took video
footages and pictures," Abesamis said.

The city council has demanded an explanation, by this afternoon, from
Barangay Sto. Tomas chair Jesus Viray or he would face suspension.
Viray denied involvement in the shabu operations and said "the truth
will set me free."

Charges of gross negligence and dereliction of duty have been filed
against Viray.

The council is also waiting for the owner of the compound to surface.
Two land titles covering parts of the compound were traced to a
certain Amin Imam Boratong.

The anti-narcotics task force in Camp Crame national police
headquarters has begun its investigation into the possible culpability
of district police officers.

Director Marcelo Ele said his office would determine if Chief
Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela was also liable. The National Capital
Region Police Office is conducting a parallel inquiry.

Valenzuela is head of the Eastern Police District, which includes the
cities of Marikina, Mandaluyong and Pasig, and the town of San Juan.