WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Mr. Expose

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief, Undersecretary Anselmo
Avenido announced the relief of a six-man PDEA team assigned to Pasig
City. Avenido said the team did not know the presence of the shabu
tiangge in the heart of the city or were paid to allow the drug
traffickers to operate.

It is now doubly clear that the Pasig Philippine National Police,
Pasig City local government authorities and the PDEA Pasig team failed
to do their jobs over a two-year period with drug dealers operating
openly and undisturbed by the three agencies. In fact, the raiding
team from the PNP task force decided not to coordinate with the three
local agencies to prevent a leak. This indicates that the raiders
suspected the local officials and police of protecting the dens.

Among the minors found in the Pasig shabu talipapa, 14 tested positive
for drug use. Gen. Marcelo Ele Jr., head of the raiding team,
estimated that the shabu dens were making P6 million a day. Gen. Ele
revealed that among those arrested were a Pasig City Hall employee and
a regional trial court employee. What is unbelievable is the report
that a policeman was actually living in the shabu community.

National Capital Region Police Office Director Vidal Querol has
relieved Pasig City Police chief Raul Medina on command
responsibility. That's a welcome news but shouldn't the Eastern Police
District director who has his headquarters in Pasig also have command
responsibility? And General Querol himself?

Avenido said it all when he declared: "The drug den could not have
lasted this long without the cooperation of corrupt police officials."
Remember that Avenido used to be a police general. He should know.

Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio and the Pasig City Fire Department
cannot escape responsibility for allowing a big squatter community to
be built on a vacant lot without permits from city hall and which
should have been inspected quarterly for safety requirements. It is
the duty of city hall inspectors to check as soon as a construction
starts to find out if it has the required permit and approval of the
owners. And how about the Manila Electric Co. and Maynilad employees?
Didn't they check the electricity and water reading? Or if there are
illegal connections, shouldn't they have discovered them considering
that it has been going on for two years? It looks like everybody has
been paid to be quiet!