DRUGBUSTERS SAY SYNDICATES SHIFTING TO 'DEMOLITION'

Drug syndicates have pooled their vast resources to destroy the integrity
and accomplishments of the anti-drug law enforcers in their bid to
undermine the ongoing drive of the police against illegal drugs, a ranking
intelligence officer revealed to The STAR yesterday.

The source, who requested anonymity, said well-entrenched and well-funded
drug syndicates have now shifted their focus from bribing arresting police
operatives to filing trumped-up charges to lessen the resolve of the police
in going after their illegal activities.

By doing so, the drug syndicates can address three concerns. First, to
totally stop the police from pursuing successful anti-drug operations by
subjecting them to various probes; second, work for the dismissal of their
ongoing drug cases; and third, prevent the team from getting any support
from the PNP due to serious derogatory information and black propaganda
peddled by the drug lords.

"Destroy the operatives that goes after them is now the battlecry of these
drug syndicates," the source said.

Just recently, a number of anti-drug operatives hogged the news after
allegedly figuring in a number of extortion cases against suspected drug lords.

"The drug lords' new tack against their adversaries is now beginning to
take effect with the end view of destroying the credibility of the police
force, and thus negate the merit of successful operations against them,"
the source said.

Senior Superintendent Federico Laciste, chief of the PNP's Anti-Illegal
Drugs Special Operation Task Force, was not spared by the drug syndicate
following his alleged involvement in a "hulidap" involving a suspected drug
lord.

In a phone interview, Laciste, a recipient of several awards, medals and
commendations due to his anti-illegal drugs exploits, lamented the apparent
bias of some PNP officers against the integrity and past accomplishments of
his team over published reports of the "hulidap" case.

"We have proven our worth in the fight against illegal drugs, yet we are
the victims of the bad system that doesn't listen to our side of the story.
We are now being investigated and refrained from conducting further
operations," said Laciste, who was responsible for the dismantling of one
of the biggest shabu laboratories in Cavite last year.

According to him, the amount of alleged extortion being attributed to him
is a pittance compared to the P22 billion worth of shabu, precursors and
equipment seized by his team duirng several anti-drug operations.

"Whose person in his right mind would sacrifice his career for barya-barya
when he could extort more in the past big drug busts?" Laciste asked.