Guidelines have been issued by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) for the conduct of random drug testing for students to ensure human rights will not be violated with its implementation in the different schools nationwide. DDB Chairman Vicente Sotto III said the document expounds on the intents of the board regulation passed by the DDB way back in 2003 which state that the activity is a regular program and not just a reaction of the government as a result of the "Alabang Boys" controversy. [continues 242 words]
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Gen. Jesus Verzosa yesterday reported a "marked decrease" in the number of index crime cases particularly murder, homicide and physical injury this year compared to year 2007. In a press conference at Camp Crame, Quezon City, Verzosa said the incidence of index crimes for the past 11 months of 2008 decreased by 1.3 percent, with corresponding single-digit declines in the number of cases involving murder and physical injury. But the PNP saw a 14.11-percent dip in the number of homicide casesin 2008. [continues 568 words]
Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) director Chief Supt. Marcelo Ele yesterday condemned the demolition of the shanties inside the "one-stop shabu market" ordered by Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio. Ele said the demolition could have destroyed important evidence that might affect the court proceedings on the drug case. Ele, who led the raid on the "shabu den" along E. Soriano Street, Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas last week expressed dismay over the decision of the Pasig City government to destroy the shanties where they recovered two kilos of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and other drug paraphernalia. [continues 433 words]
Six members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) were yesterday relieved from their posts after failing to detect the existence of the "shabu flea market" that was raided in Pasig City last week. PDEA Undersetretary Anselmo Avenido Jr. also ordered the six PDEA members to undergo investigation for possible neglect of duty following the discovery of the shabu den in E. Soriano Street, Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas, Pasig City. The relieved PDEA personnel were identified as SPO2 Arsenio Gregorio Jr., team leader, SPO2 Oscar Rudas, SPO1 Tomas Calicdan, PO3 Eleonito Aptuhan, PO2 Celino Sumauang and Po2 Ranil Policarpio. [continues 725 words]
Charges of illegal use of prohibited drugs have been filed before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court against 168 persons who were among those arrested during a raid on a "shabu market" in Pasig City last Friday. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil disclosed of the 168 persons - 20 of them women and 11 minors - - were found positive for using either shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) or marijuana after they were subjected to drug testing under the supervision of the PNP Crime Laboratory Service (CLS) at Camp Crame at 3 p.m., yesterday. [continues 558 words]
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao yesterday sacked the Pasig City precinct police chief in Sitio Mapayapa, Barangay Sto. Tomas, Pasig City for allegedly not being aware of a "one-stop-shop" shabu (hydrochloride methamphetamine) den in a squatter's area in the barangay. Lomibao was outraged by the discovery of the big shabu den on Ed Soriano Street, Sitio Mapayapa. The den was discovered after police authorities rounded up 300 persons, most of them teenagers, during a raid in the area. [continues 496 words]
Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) chief Director Marcelo Ele yesterday vowed to intensify their anti-illegal drugs operations and bat for more convictions of arrested illegal drugs manufactures and traffickers. Ele said he wanted drug traffickers and manufactures to languish in jail to ensure the total eradication of the social menace in the country. "We make arrests in order to convict. Body counts are nothing if our arrests would not lead to eventual conviction," Ele said. "The real battle is in the courtrooms. All our actions should therefore be geared toward that battle," he added. [continues 435 words]
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Director General Anselmo Avenido Jr. yesterday strongly condemned recent newspaper reports quoting two agencies of the United States government as saying the Philippines is an exporter of marijuana and hashish and a transit point for heroin and methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. In their reports, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Fact Book 2005 and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (BINLEA) International Narcotics Strategy Report 2005 claimed the Philippines is an exporter of marijuana and hashish to various parts of the world. [continues 456 words]
