USDEA COMMENDS PNP FOR PASIG RAID

The US Drug Enforcement Agency (USDEA) has commended the Philippine
National Police (PNP) and Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task
Force (AIDSOTF) for stopping the operation of a compound openly
selling shabu in Pasig City last Friday.

"Once again your team is leading the path in fighting the war against
drugs," said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil as he
read the message from the USDEA.

AIDSOTF is headed by Director Marcelo Ele Jr., current chief of the
Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.

In a briefing at Camp Crame yesterday, Bataoil said the PNP and
AIDSOTF would further intensify the campaign against illegal drugs
following the dismantling of a the shabu market that sells drugs even
to minors.

Bataoil said the PNP Crime Laboratory tested 257 persons of the 313
rounded up in the raid at the compound in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay
Sto. Tomas, just a few blocks away from Pasig City-Police Community
Precinct 20.

Of the 257 people tested, 145 were found positive for drug
use.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao was dismayed over the
discovery of the shabu "flea market" in Pasig City, where people could
buy shabu for P10.

President Arroyo has ordered the PNP to intensify the campaign against
illegal drugs and all other forms of criminality.

"The President has ordered an all out war against illegal drug trade,
especially in Metro Manila, sparing no politician or police officials.
She has directed General Lomibao, AIDSOTF and the National Capital
Region Police Office to widen the scope of the investigation into the
Pasig City drug den," Bataoil said.

Lomibao has ordered directors in other police regions to conduct
parallel anti-drug operations.

"So starting today, we are expecting our field commanders to carry out
anti-illegal drug drives," said Bataoil, who added that the PNP will
adopt a "reduction of supply and demand" strategy in the war on
illegal drugs.

He said the PNP is concentrating on high-profile street level
operations, just like in Pasig City.

He explained that in supply reduction, the PNP would intensify the
campaign against drug pushers and manufacturers by raiding and
dismantling shabu laboratories in the country.

"In demand reduction, the PNP together with other sectors of the
society, business, religious, youth organizations and other
non-government organizations will carry out a dialogue to come up with
programs to keep people away from drugs," the PNP spokesman said.

Bataoil said the PNP is also checking on the activities and programs
of the Pasig's City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) to determine what
its has done to address the drug problem in the city.

Bataoil said CADAC, headed by the vice mayor, is supposed to be in
charge of handling the programs and implementing measures to address
the drug problem while the police serve as the operating and
investigating arm.

Bataoil, however, refused to disclose whether Pasig City police Senior
Superintendent Raul Medina and Eastern Police District director Chief
Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela will be among those to be relieved
following the discovery of the drug compound.

He stressed that the anti-illegal drug campaign remained a top
priority when Lomibao assumed his post after the retirement of his
predecessor PNP chief Edgar Aglipay, who had been active in the war on
drugs.

"No, it did not die down. In 2005, there were 12 shabu laboratories
shut down under Gen. Lomibao. The effort is continuing, now that we
have dismantled these laboratories," he said.

3 Cops Protecting Shabu Compound?

Agents of the police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force
(AIDSOTF) are looking into reports that three Pasig City policemen had
been acting as protectors of the shabu "tiangge' raided last Friday,
resulting in the arrest of 313 people, including women and minors.

AIDSOTF commander Director Marcelo Ele Jr. said the names of the three
policemen cropped up during the actual raid on the Mapayapa compound
in Barangay Sto. Tomas as well as the tactical interrogation of the
arrested suspects and the intelligence reports his office has been
receiving.

While Ele refused to reveal the names of the three Pasig City
policemen, he vowed to "get into the bottom of their involvement in
the raided drug den."

" We are in the process of checking their present assignments so we
can invite them for questioning in the coming days," Ele told The Star.

Upon orders of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General
Arturo Lomibao, Ele said he is conducting a thorough probe on the
alleged involvement of local government, barangay and police officials
in the operations of the raided drug "tiangge" while Metro police
chief Director Vidal Querol is looking at the culpability of Pasig
City police chief Senior Superintendent Raul Medina and Eastern Police
District (EPD) director Chief Supt. Oscar Valenzuela.

Ele said among those arrested were employees of City Hall and the
local court.

The raided drug lair is only half a kilometer away from the City Hall
compound and the EPD headquarters along Caruncho Avenue.

Ele and Querol would separately start their probe today.

So far, at least 19 policemen from the PCP 20, Pasig City and EPD
anti-drug units were relieved because of the incident. The ranking
police official sacked was Senior Superintendent Salvador de la Cruz,
head of the PCP 20 of the Pasig police.

The 257 adults arrested are now detained at the PNP custodial cell
while the 56 minors were turned over to the custody of the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Pasig City.

Chief Superintendent Ernesto Belen, crime laboratory director said of
the 257 adults subjected to drug testing, 145 of them, including 20
women, tested positive for shabu. Results of the drug tests on the
arrested minors are still pending for documentation, Belen said.

Ele said the drug "tiangge" is located on a 600-square meter lot
housing 64 shanties along F. Soriano street in Barangay Sto. Tomas.

Each shanty has an area where clients can buy or use shabu.

As part of the drug den's security measure, the operator, a certain
Dario, posts a closed-circuit TV camera near a small walkway leading
to the compound.

"The camera serves as an early warning device for those running the
drug den," said Superintendent Jojo Acierto, leader of the AIDSOTF
raiding team.

Acierto said Dario escaped during the raid. Ele has ordered a manhunt
for the suspect.

Acierto admitted receiving reports that the three policemen tagged as
protectors of Dario were often seen at the compound.

"The three local policemen frequented the compound and we are now in
the process of knowing why," he said, noting that it took them only a
week and two test-buys to effect the raid.

Ele said they are also investigating the culpability of Sto. Tomas
acting barangay chairman Jesus Viray, who up to now remains missing.
They will also ask two barangay councilmen to explain why they left
the area at the height of the raid.

Ele, a lawyer, explained that under the law, the raid must be
witnessed by barangay officials.

Despite the absence of Viray and his two councilmen, however, City
Prosecutor Noel Paz, Councilman Danny Orboveza and watchmen Jay-R
Alangca, Jun Barroga and Agapito Mercado as well as mediamen were
around to witness the raid.

The AIDSOTF chief said he will refer to the Department of Interior and
Local Government (DILG) the cases against Viray and his two
councilmen.