MORE COPS SACKED OVER PASIG DRUG DEN RAID

HEADS continued to roll yesterday over a large drug enclave that
openly sold shabu for months a few blocks away from Pasig City Hall
and the community precinct.

Police sacked the entire six-member Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA) team for failing to move against the operation.

"The drug den could not have lasted this long without the cooperation
of corrupt police officials and men," said Undersecretary Anselmo
Avenido, PDEA director general. "They should be unmasked and punished.
No one should be spared."

Sources said the PDEA men assigned to Pasig City were either sleeping
on the job or worse, protecting the operators of the den inside the
U-shaped, 600-sqm compound in Sitio Mapayapa on F. Soriano Street.

Police raided the drug den last Friday, arresting about 300 men, women
and children.

An angry police Chief Arturo Lomibao immediately sacked the
seven-member police precinct.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday called for an investigation
into the case, focusing on the possible liability of top police and
interior department officials.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, for his part, expressed alarm over the
involvement of 59 minors in the Pasig drug bust, and reminded
authorities to protect the rights of children.

Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio, for his part, said he received
information that one of the policemen who were providing protection to
the drug enclave was actually a member of the community.

"I've ordered an independent investigation to get the name and
background of that policeman and the other policemen who were
allegedly giving protection to the operation," Eusebio said.

He added he would form an independent investigating panel to look into
reports that some of the arrested customers of the drug den were city
government and court employees.

The PDEA officers relieved yesterday were SPO2 Arsenio Gregori Jr.,
PO2 Oscar Rudas, SPO1 Tomas Calicdan, PO3 Eleonito Aptuhan, PO2 Celino
Sumauang and PO2 Ramir Policarpio.

To date, 19 policemen have been relieved from their posts.

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil said
the chief of police in Pasig, Senior Supt. Raul Medina, may also be
sacked.

"He's still liable for administrative charges," Bataoil
said.

Meanwhile, the PNP Crime Laboratory said a drug test on 313 suspects
arrested during the raid showed 165 of them were positive for shabu
and marijuana use. Twenty of these were minors.