Pubdate: Tue, 04 Jan 2005
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Author: Ramon Tulfo
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)

DAVAO CITY DRUG DEALERS WERE EXECUTED

THOSE suspected drug dealers who were caught during a raid at the shabu 
(methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory in Davao City were not killed in 
a shootout but were executed.

In police parlance, they were "salvaged."

Everybody in Davao City knows that. But nobody is raising a howl of protest 
over their deaths. People in the city want their place completely drug free.

Those killed were chinky-eyed guys, probably mainland Chinese or Taiwanese. 
They didn't have any identification papers on them.

Pity the families of those guys who probably don't know about their grim 
fate until now.

Those guys were probably ignorant of the situation in Davao City. If petty 
criminals such as drug pushers and snatchers of cellular phones are 
executed by unidentified vigilantes in the city, how much more for big-time 
drug dealers who would victimize thousands of Filipinos?

If those drug dealers were not executed and they were sent to prison, they 
would be directing inside their prison cells the operation of other 
syndicate members. They were believed to be members of the Triad or Chinese 
Mafia.

The Triad is a big drug syndicate with tentacles in many places in Asia. 
The Triad could even spring its members in jail if it wanted to. It has 
connections with some corrupt law enforcers.

* * *

Unimpeachable sources in Davao City told me eight other Triad members who 
were not killed in the supposed shootout with policemen at the shabu 
laboratory were eventually arrested. But then they were not turned over to 
the authorities.

What happened to them is anybody's guess. They are probably buried in 
unmarked graves in a remote place in the city.

This is not to speak in favor of vigilante killings, but if they would 
discourage foreign drug syndicates from operating in our country, then let 
the vigilantes do their thing.

Anyway, we have a lousy judicial system where many judges and prosecutors 
can be bribed. And the Triad has the money to bribe judges and prosecutors.
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