Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jan 2005
Source: Mindanao Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Mindanao Times.
Contact:  http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2980
Author: ASA
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

'IT'S A DRUG WAR'

PDEA Agrees With PNP: More Killings Seen

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency claimed that some members of 
big-time drug syndicates could become next victims of the city's series of 
killings with the alleged ongoing "drug war".

PDEA regional director Wilkins Villanueva issued this statement as he 
affirmed the observation of regional police chief Dir Simeon Dizon that 
there will be more killings in the next two weeks

Villanueva said there was some truth to Dizon's statement that the death of 
22 people as of January this year was not the handiwork of vigilante hitmen 
but of drug syndicates.

He said if majority of the victims is only small-time then there would be 
big-time drug traffickers who might be killed later.

He said in an interview with DxRP Radyo ng Bayan Friday morning that there 
is in-fighting among the syndicates operating in Davao City. He said others 
are afraid that their identities will be divulged by those who surrendered.

Villanueva said there is some sort of "purging among their ranks".

"Gusto nila mawala yung mga weak links nila para tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang 
kanilang negosyo," he said. (They want to weed out the weak links so that 
the business will continue).

The killings went on a rampage just a day after the shabu laboratory raid 
in Dumoy, Toril district that resulted to the confiscation of 76 kilos of 
shabu amounting to P152 million.

The raid also caused the death of the still unidentified six foreigners who 
shot it out with authorities.

But Allan Sy, the alleged shabu laboratory owner, is still at large.

Villanueva said another drug lord has been monitored as of this time "but 
we have yet to gather more pieces of evidence so that the court could 
warrant the issuance of search order."

"Let's just wait for the right time to go after this drug personality," he said.
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