Pubdate: Wed, 10 Aug 2005
Source: People's Journal (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 People's Journal
Contact: http://www.journal.com.ph/contactus.asp
Website: http://www.journal.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3381
Author: Paul M. Gutierrez
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

CALABARZON HAS 7,866 DRUG PUSHERS

THERE  are at least 7,866 persons peddling illegal drugs in the five
provinces comprising the Calabarzon region who are under the watch
list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

In a talk with Supt. Abe Lemos, Region 4-A PDEA director whose area of
responsibility covers the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal
and Quezon, People's Tonight also learned that their watch list only
covers suspected pushers who have been earlier 'profiled' or
identified by the agency and validated through sources and information
received from the local government units and the Philippine National
Police.

The watch list does not cover pushers whose activities are yet to come
to the attention of the agency that raises the possibility that
thousands more are into dope pushing that Lemos said is now a P250
billion a year industry.

Greatly undermanned to run after the thousands of drug peddlers they
have identified, Lemos said they are focusing their attention on the
"top ten" known pushers in every province while leaving the task of
neutralizing "street-level" drug deals to the local police commands.

PDEA's regional office only has a total of 40 personnel, including
officials, while the "ideal" number to make its interdiction work more
effective is "at least 100 personnel," PDEA operatives told People's
Tonight.

Among those directly being targeted by PDEA are dope pushers whose
relatives are also well-known political figures, as borne out by its
recent accomplishments, especially in Laguna province.

"We are targeting them (pushers with political connections) because
the most common and unfair criticism that we have been receiving is
that we are not touching the relatives of local politicians," Lemos
told this reporter.

Since March, PDEA has arrested at least three politically-connected
dope pushers who are also on top of their watch list in Laguna. They
include: Sumilang "Baby Tsina" Tee, sister of congresswoman Uliran
Joaquin, who was arrested on March 15; Derlita "Girlie" Remoquillo
Ortega, first cousin of San Pedro Mayor Felicisimo Vierneza, who was
nabbed last July 15; and, Ariel Cesario Palacol, grandson of the late
congressman Magdaleno Palacol, arrested last August 4 during a
buy-bust operation in Sta. Cruz.

Lemos also confirmed that they are closely watching the activities of
two close relatives of San Pablo City Mayor Vicente Amante and a
certain "Tobias." The three are said to be "at the top" of PDEA's list
of the most notorious drug pushers in Laguna's third district.

"We already talked to Mayor Amante and in fairness to him, he said we
should go ahead and arrest them," Lemos said.

Aside from Amante's relatives, People's Tonight sources in the city
revealed that the son of a former ranking city official is also
involved in the illegal drug trade.

As this developed, Lemos also announced the arrest of Rolando
Manzanares Escudero, 52, married and a resident of No. 372 Bgy. Cuyab,
San Pedro.

Five grams of shabu worth P10,000 was seized from the suspect during a
buy-bust operation, according to C/Insp. Raul Bargamento, PDEA
regional deputy director. A formal case for drug pushing has been
filed by the agency against the suspect the other day.

Escudero's arrest reinforced PDEA's description of San Pedro as the
"shabu capital" of Laguna.

Bargamento added they are still conducting follow-up operations to
arrest other cohorts of Escudero, including his source of illegal drugs. 
- ---