PASIG COP CHIEF AXED FOR SHABU BAZAAR

THE Pasig City police chief was sacked on Tuesday for not knowing a
shabu bazaar existed a stone's throw from his headquarters.

The Pasig government at the same time is readying administrative
charges against the barangay captain where the open drug market in
Sitio Mapayapa had been thriving for three years.

The place was raided by policemen from the Anti-illegal Drugs-Special
Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) on February 10.

The decision to relieve Sr. Supt. Raul Medina was based on the
deliberation of the National Capital Region Police Office Board of
Generals, led by the NCRPO chief, Director Vidal Querol.

The board found that Medina "failed miserably to understand and
realize the drug situation in Sitio Mapayapa, which has put the
community and us in a very embarrassing situation."

"Before we deliberated, we insisted on getting his side," Querol told
The Manila Times.

Asked where Medina went wrong, Querol said, "His men did not fully
disclose to him the extent of operations in the drug den, which have
been going on for two years. That was his responsibility [to know]. It
falls squarely on his shoulders."

Nevertheless he praised Medina for "taking his sacking in a very
professional manner."

Querol said that when he asked Medina what he had learned from the
situation, Medina responded, "I could have been more penetrating in my
effort to eradicate illegal drugs in my area."

Querol named the Pasig police deputy chief, Supt. Romeo Abaring,
officer in charge.

200 Charged

The antidrug task force on Tuesday charged at least 200 persons,
including 14 minors, with violating the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
(Republic Act 9165).

The AID-SOTF commander, Director Marcelo Ele, said at least two
persons were rapped for drug pushing, 28 for maintaining the shabu
dens, and 28 for possessing illegal drugs.

Some 168 persons were charged with using prohibited drugs and 129 with
being caught inside the compound in Mapayapa.

Ninety-nine of the 319 persons rounded up were released after testing
negative for illegal drugs.

Ele noted that of 35 minors tested for use of illegal drugs, 14 were
found to be users of shabu and marijuana. Those who tested positive
for drug use were aged 14 to 18.

The bazaar was being run by a certain "Dario."

Sesus Viray, the barangay captain of Santo Tomas, will be charged with
gross dereliction of duty and negligence before the Pasig Regional
Trial Court.

Viray said he had reported the presence of the shabu den to higher
authorities even before the raid.

Powerful Drug Operators

He said his barangay watchmen and the 25 members of the security force
patrolling the neighborhood were no match for the drug suspects.

"To fight syndicates is universal or multisectoral, and I called the
attention of Senior Supt. Raul Medina and Eastern Police District
director Oscar Valenzuela when I met with them last year," Viray said.

He said the compound is privately owned and its high walls prevented
the police from seeing what was going on inside.