Pubdate: Sun, 17 Oct 2004
Source: Freeman, The (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 The Freeman
Contact:  http://www.thefreeman.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3437
Author: Rene U. Borromeo
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

PDEA SWARMED WITH TIPS AFTER P1M BOUNTY OFFER

It is perhaps because people want to become a millionaire that the 
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is receiving a deluge of reports on 
suspicious buildings that may turn out to be laboratories of shabu.

Anselmo Avenido, PDEA chief and chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, 
earlier offered bounty of up to a million pesos to an informant who can 
lead authorities to shabu laboratories or perpetrators of illegal drugs.

"Kun ang usa ka tawo makatudlo og shabu laboratory mahimo na siyang 
milyonaryo. Apan bisan og dili shabu laboratory, duna gihapo'y cash 
reward," was how Avenido announced the who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire come-on.

It now appears that the dangle for bounty worked because as of yesterday, 
the PDEA office received a deluge of raw and still unverified reports on 
suspicious establishments in different areas of Metro Cebu.

Avenido said that even if the report yielded negative results, Avenido took 
this in a positive light saying it was an indication that people are now 
involved.

"Bisan og negative ang reports nga among nadawat dihang gihimoan namo og 
follow-up, apan maayo kini nga indikasyon nga daghan na ang mga tawo nga 
nagpakabana karon batok sa kampanya sa illegal nga drugas," Avenido said.

Informants reported of the suspicious activities inside buildings when they 
noticed the emission of foul-stinging odors, the buildings were enclosed in 
high perimeter fences and there was frequent flow of vehicles in and out of 
the compound.

The PDEA director general said his men continue to pursue evidence against 
the local businessmen who supplied the 11 shabu manufacturers with 
ingredients for the making of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. These 
businessmen will face charges.

Barangay officials of Looc and Umapad, and some personnel from the Mandaue 
City treasurer's office have already appeared before the Office of the 
Ombudsman-Visayas when they were summoned for the investigation.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez earlier said Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo 
Ouano and his subordinate executive officials might have committed "serious 
administrative lapses" when city hall personnel failed to inspect the 
warehouses that were reportedly turned into laboratories for manufacturing 
shabu.

Ouano ordered the investigation of his personnel where those found guilty 
will be meted with stiff sanctions.

Santiago said officials of barangay Paknaan, personnel from the city's 
assessor and engineering departments and from the Securities and Exchange 
Commission, will similarly be summoned this week.

Ouano said that under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the 
task of local executives in the campaign against the illegal drugs is only 
to allocate a budget that could be used in the rehabilitation of drug 
dependents and seminars on drug awareness.

In a related development, Avenido said his men would continue to secure the 
shabu laboratory in barangay Umapad even after the shabu found here were 
burned on Friday.

Avenido also said his personnel are already prepared to prosecute the cases 
filed against the 12 suspected shabu manufacturers, 11 of them are now 
detained at the Mandaue City jail. Alleged financier named Calvin De Jesus 
Tan is now under detention in Hong Kong.

Allan Garcia, one of those detained, confided to Dangerous Drugs Committee 
chairman Rep. Roque Ablan and member Rep. Antonio Cuenco said that it was 
Tan who financed shabu making operation in Mandaue City.

Hong Kong authorities arrested Tan with a few packs of shabu and cocaine 
while he was about to leave for Macau on September 29, or five days after 
the shabu laboratory in Mandaue City was raided by the police.

The PDEA director general said his office has enough evidence to indict 
suspected shabu manufacturers. The documents include footages taken while 
the anti-drug agents were doing surveillance operations until the raid was 
hatched.
- ---