Heads Roll!

PDEA Agents Axed For Sleeping On Job?

PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency chief Undesecretary Anselmo S.
Avenido, Jr. yesterday ordered the relief of his entire Eastern
District anti-illegal drugs team for their failure to detect the
"shabu flea market" raided by police last Friday in Pasig City.

Avenido identified the axed PDEA agents as SPO2 Arsenio Gregorio, Jr.,
team leader; SPO2 Oscar Rudas; SPO1 Tomas Calicdan; PO3 Elionito
Aptuhan; PO2 Celino Sumauang; and PO2 Ramir Policarpio.

Their replacements have yet to be named.

Avenido said the six-man PDEA Eastern District Team will undergo drug
testing to determine if they, too, have been involved in illegal drugs.

They will also be placed under investigation for their failure to
detect the existence of the drug den. "The drug den could not have
lasted this long without the cooperation of corrupt police officials
and men," Avenido said.

"They should be unmasked and punished. No one should be spared," he
added.

Avenido was virtually irked after learning of the raid on a 600-square
meter compound in Sitio Mapayapa, F. Soriano Street, Barangay Palatiw,
Pasig City where a flea market for the sale, distribution and use of
shabu had been flourishing.

He recalled that in 2003, the PDEA and the PNP also conducted a drug
raid which resulted in the arrest of Chinese nationals. The raiders
seized more than P100 million worth of shabu ingredients, finished
products and equipment.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police Anti-illegal Drugs Special
operations task force yesterday said that the suspects arrested last
Friday in a "shabu flea market" in Pasig City who tested negative for
illegal drugs will not be spared from prosecution.

AIDSOTF commander Director Marcelo S. Ele Jr., said testing negative
for either marijuana or shabu does not mean a suspect will not be
slapped with criminal charges.

"There is no assurance that those found negative in the drug test will
be spared from criminal charges," Ele said.

He said of the 313 arrested suspects in Pasig City, a total of 165 or
53 percent tested positive for illegal drugs use.

Of the number, 145 are adults while 20 are minors. Of the adults
found positive for illegal drugs use, 125 are male, while 20 are
female. As for the minors, nine are male, while five are female,
including a pregnant girl.

The minors were brought to the Department of Social Welfare and
Development for proper disposition. Six of them were accompanied by
their parents to the DSWD.

"Under the law, any person who, not being included as employee of a
drug den, is aware of the nature of the place as such and shall
knowingly visit the same is still liable," Ele added.