Pubdate: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2006 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Author: Jess Diaz, Non Alquitran 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.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines PASIG MAYOR UNDER FIRE FOR DEMOLITION Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio could be guilty of covering up for the maintainers, financiers and suppliers of the shabu tiangge that a team from the Philippine National Police headquarters raided and padlocked last week, two opposition congressmen said yesterday. "The demolition of the shabu market by the mayor is a clear case of cover-up," Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico told a news forum at the Serye restaurant at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. He said by dismantling the makeshift building in a compound near city hall and a police station, which sells shabu and were drug session were being held, Eusebio and all those who participated in the demolition might have destroyed vital evidence to support charges against those arrested in the raid. "They covered-up for those who run the illegal drug market, destroying evidence in the process," he said. He added that PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao, who ordered the raid, should file criminal charges against Eusebio. For his part, Rep. Jacinto Paras of Negros Oriental said the vice mayors and councilors who signed the resolution sought by Eusebio for the demolition of the building should be included in the charges. "By authorizing the dismantling of the shabu market, they could be as guilty as the mayor for the cover-up and the destruction of evidence," he said. He said city officials should not have barged into the compound, which was cordoned off by a "crime scene, do not trespass" police tape, until the PNP shall have finished its investigation and the court where the charges against those arrested in the raid shall have authorized the demolition. "The judge now can no longer make an ocular inspection and see the original state of the shabu compound," he added. Suplico also said it was hard to believe that Eusebio and other city and police officials were not aware of the operation of the illegal drug market since this was just about 200 meters away from their offices. "Besides cover-up and destruction of evidence, they could be charged with drug trafficking as principals by indispensable cooperation. By not doing anything against the maintainers, operators, financiers, and drug peddlers, they in effect cooperated with these criminal elements," he said. Another forum guest, Pasig Rep. Robert Jaworski Jr., said he would lodge a complaint with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) against Eusebio and other city and police officials for allegedly tolerating the operation of the shabu market. "I am just waiting for the PNP report. I hope that our colleague, incoming DILG Secretary Ronnie (Ronaldo) Puno would act expeditiously on this case," he said. Suit Being Readied An anti-crime and corruption group is now preparing to file criminal and administrative charges against Eusebio for ordering the demolition. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is also being asked to issue a suspension order against the local chief executive. "We will charge him for obstruction of justice and cover up," Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman Dante Jimenez told The Star yesterday. "We are now preparing the suit and we will file it at the soonest possible time," he said. Jimenez said Eusebio acted in bad faith when he ordered and even led the demolition of shanties and stalls in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas. Some 50 stalls found to be engaging in retail sale of shabu and maintaining pot session rooms were torn down without a court order. Jimenez said the VACC's legal team is also planning to charge Eusebio as an accessory to the crime, considering that he destroyed evidence on illegal drug trade operations. "The fact that the mayor did so without asking for the permission of the court or police, "there is probable cause to charge him for accessory to the crime," he said. The VACC is now challenging newly-installed DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno to act swiftly against Eusebio by suspending him and conducting an investigation. Senate To Begin Probe The Senate will start its public hearings on the possible culpability of public officials in the Mapayapa drug compound raided by the police last week. Sen. Manuel Villar, chairman of the committee on public order and illegal drugs, has acted on the resolution filed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago for an inquiry in the one-stop-shop for illegal drugs in Pasig City. "We will investigate on it by next week. And this will be the start of an inquiry that will dwell on the over-all problem of illegal drugs in the entire country," Villar said. The hearing is tentatively set on Tuesday. Villar said the Senate will also ask local chief executives and police officials whether there are similar areas in Metro Manila and the rest of the country, and what the authorities have done to eradicate them. "We believe that this one in Pasig is just the tip of the iceberg. It is a small aspect of a bigger problem on illegal drugs in the country," Villar said. Santiago, in a resolution filed Tuesday, said she wants to determine the liability of the secretary of interior and local government, the mayor of Pasig City, the director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police chief, and the chairman of Barangay Palatiw. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, former chief of the national police, said Eusebio violated certain provision of the Dangerous Drugs Act. "Very clearly, very obviously, he violated certain provisions of the law. May provision doon na kapag ang ebidensya ay sinira o pinagtakpan mo, may corresponding penalty," he said. Lacson noted that the police have not wrapped up its probe so it was not proper that the structures in the area was destroyed. "Di pa tapos ang investigation ng anti-drug unit na nag-conduct ng raid sa lugar, bakit sisirain mo? The place itself is the actual evidence of the crime," Lacson said. The senator shared the view of Chief Superintendent Marcelo Ele, chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), that local government officials should have coordinated with the anti-drug unit prior to the demolition of the shanties. Frustrated Drugbuster If he could have his way, Ele wants to file charges against Eusebio and his men for the demolition of shabu shanties last Wednesday. Ele said the mayor could be held criminally liable for destroying the evidence in the drug den when he ordered the demolition of some 100 shanties where shabu and drug paraphernalia were seized during a raid last week. The AIDSOTF chief said the filing of charges against Eusebio and his men would be in compliance with President Arroyo's directive to spare no one, government or police officials, in the campaign against illegal drugs. "He should have understood that the case is now under litigation and obstruction of the law and protection of evidence are very basic," said Ele, a lawyer. He also said the mayor could be charged as an accessory after the fact and possibly a principal by dispensable cooperation. When they learned about the order, Ele said he was at the office of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao and tried to stop the demolition by calling Eusebio's office, but nobody was answering. The AIDSOTF chief said he would file a report with the Department of Justice and the DILG to determine the charges to be filed against Eusebio and other local government officials for the existence of the drug den. The DOJ would determine criminal liability while the DILG would handle the administrative aspect. Ele added that they are now in the second phase of the investigation of the case, which they expect to incriminate local officials and policemen. He noted that the demolition was a classic example of how tampering with evidence could hurt the case. "I'm not saying that our case is weak, but each house at the compound had been marked as evidence as part of the legal process. The demolition destroyed all the evidence," he said. Ele said the prosecution needs the shanties to be shown to judges during ocular investigation to further strengthen the case. He said his men rounded up 313 persons, including women and minors, in the raid. At least 99 of those arrested were released after they tested negative for illegal drugs. - With Michael Punongbayan, Christina Mendez, Cecille Suerte Felipe - --- MAP posted-by: Tom