GUARD SAYS PDEA AGENTS SNEAKED OUT DRUGS FROM RAIDED SHABU LAB

A security guard at the Multinational Village in Paranaque City said he saw
some Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents had smuggle out drugs
prior to the raid on a shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory
inside the subdivision last Tuesday.

The guard claimed three PDEA vehicles went in and out of the village prior
to the raid.

Radio station dzRH was quoted as reporting the PDEA members were part of a
stakeout group that went inside the village around 3:45 p.m. last Monday.

The guard positively identified the six policemen as members of the PDEA
raiding team.

The village guard who was identified as Conrado Dediquin claimed he saw a
Toyota Revo, a PDEA service vehicle, come and go out of the subdivision and
it went out for the last time around 2:52 a.m. while the raid was said to
be in progress.

Other entries on the logbook of the guard showed a Mitsubishi L-300 van and
a Honda CR-V also entered the village.

On the other hand, PDEA chief Anselmo Avenido was surprised over the claim
of the security guard, saying this will have to be investigated.

Government operatives raided the mansion inside the Multinational Village,
but they failed to find shabu. That they found was ephedrine, said to be
the main chemical in the manufacture of the illegal drug.

The other day, PDEA operatives dismantled another clandestine shabu
laboratory located in a posh subdivision in Paranaque City.

The raiding teams were able to arrest Chinese Li Zhong Hong, alias James
Nian, said to be a native of Fujian, China around 12:30 a.m.

Authorities were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Fortunito
Madrona of the Paranaque Regional Trial Court.

President Arroyo and Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes
personally inspected the shabu laboratory located at Nazareth Street,
Multinational Village, Paranaque City.

The President lauded the police and local community for the successful raid.

"Community involvement is an indispensable component in the success of the
anti-drug campaign. If all the citizens will be vigilant in their own
communities, then drug syndicates will not be able to establish clandestine
laboratories in any part of our country," the President said.

The operation was also witnessed by the president of the Multinational
Village Homeowners' Association and officials of Barangay Moonwalk,
Paranaque City.

Avenido disclosed no shabu was seized but tons of chemicals used in the
manufacture of the illegal drug were confiscated which include at least 13
kilograms of ephedrine, 46 crates of thionyl chloride and 500 crates of
various other chemicals.

Avenido claimed the seized chemicals can produce shabu worth millions of pesos.

"Based on our initial assessment, this clandestine laboratory was set up
just a few weeks ago," Avenido said.

The raid was conducted by operatives of the PDEA Metro Manila Regional
Office led by Sr. Supt. Orlando Mabutas inside the mansion reportedly owned
by a certain Joseph Chan. PDEA agents are now conducting a thorough
investigation into the background of Chan and the arrested Chinese.