RAPS FILED VS 168 CAUGHT IN 'SHABU MARKET' RAID

Charges of illegal use of prohibited drugs have been filed before the
Pasig City Regional Trial Court against 168 persons who were among
those arrested during a raid on a "shabu market" in Pasig City last
Friday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Supt. Leopoldo
Bataoil disclosed of the 168 persons - 20 of them women and 11 minors
- - were found positive for using either shabu (methamphetamine
hydrochloride) or marijuana after they were subjected to drug testing
under the supervision of the PNP Crime Laboratory Service (CLS) at
Camp Crame at 3 p.m., yesterday.

According to Bataoil, the 168 suspected drug users were among the 302
persons picked up by agents of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special
Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) during a raid on a "shabu wet market"
in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Santo Tomas, Pasig City.

The 168 suspected drug users are currently detained in the PNP
Custodial Center at Camp Crame.

Police are still investigating who among those arrested will be
charged with illegal trafficking of drugs.

Police authorities seized at least two kilos of shabu during the raid
in the big drug den. Several other drug paraphernalia and cash in
small denominations were confiscated by police authorities.

Two handguns were also recovered by AID-SOTF teams led by Director
Marcelo Ele.

Director Gen. Arturo Lomibao, PNP chief, ordered police field
commanders to widen their anti-drug operations to cover all forms of
drug addiction in their respective areas of responsibility.

Bataoil said the police anti-drug campaign should spare no one, even
politicians or officials of the PNP who provide protection to illicit
drug operations.

Senior Insp. Salvador de la Cruz was relieved as chief of Police
Community Precinct 20 which was located just a few meters away from
the shabu market.

Aside from De la Cruz, six other policemen assigned to PCP 20 were
also relieved to undergo retraining following the raid.

De la Cruz and his men were ordered by Lomibao to undergo drug test
and investigation to determine if they were also drug users.

Six personnel of the Pasig Police Station Anti-Illegal Drugs Task
Force were also relieved of their posts to undergo investigation. Also
relieved were six policemen from the Eastern Police District-Anti
Illegal Drugs Task Force.

One of those found positive for using illegal drugs was identified as
Elmira Gonzales Santos, 54. She claimed she was using shabu to ease
the pain from diabetes attacks.

The PNP will coordinate with the Pasig City Anti-Drug Abuse Council to
determine if their anti-drug programs were properly implemented by
police authorities in the area.

The CADAC, the PNP spokesman explained, is composed of the vice mayor,
members of the academe, businessmen, media personalities and
representatives from other sectors of the society.

"The police are the operating arm of the anti-drug campaign of the
CADAC," Bataoil emphasized.

Bataoil refuted claims the PNP was remiss in their duty of combatting
the drug problem following the discovery of the shabu compound in Pasig City.

The drug campaign of the PNP has not slowed down, Bataoil stressed.

He pointed out police authorities had neutralized at least 12
suspected shabu laboratories in Metro Manila in 2005.

Currently, the PNP is implementing a two-pronged approach in
combatting the drug menace and this involves supply reduction and
demand reduction schemes.

Because of the discovery, President Arroyo called for a renewed
declaration of an all-out-of war against illegal drug trade,
especially in Metro Manila, vowing not to spare politicians or law
enforcers involved in the scourge.

Lomibao, meanwhile, ordered the AID-SOTF and the National Capital
Region Police Office (NCRPO) to widen the scope of their investigation
into the Pasig drug den.

He also ordered the regional directors of the Police Regional Offices
nationwide to conduct parallel anti-drug operations against any form
of illegal drug activities in their areas of responsibility.