Pubdate: Tue, 06 Jul 2004 Source: People's Journal (Philippines) Copyright: 2004 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: James G. Aquino PANGASINAN JAIL WARDEN DISMISSED LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Gov. Victor E. Agbayani on Thursday approved the dismissal of the provincial jail warden of Pangasinan for allegedly allowing the proliferation of illegal drugs business inside the jail, People's Journal learned yesterday. Dismissed from the service without pay and other benefits was retired police colonel Felimon Doria of Binmaley town. Doria has been suspended since May 28 and replaced by Senior Insp. Jerick Royales while the administrative case filed against him was being investigated by a group formed by Agbayani. However, provincial legal officer Geraldine Baniqued yesterday said Doria can file a motion for reconsideration before the office of the Civil Service Commission within 15 days upon receipt of the order. The charges against Doria stemmed from a surprise inspection last May 27 when elements of the Pangasinan Police Special Operations Group headed by Supt. Rolando I. Magno, the intelligence unit headed by Supt. Rayland Malenab, strike force of the provincial police office and provincial office of the Criminal Investigation and Detections Group recovered from five inmates 119 grams of shabu and assorted drug paraphernalia. The inmates were identified as Abelardo Punzal, former president of the Association of Barangay Council in Mangatarem town; Larry Lumna alias Ben Laden; Peter Castillo; Benjamin Lu and Susano Manahan. Magno initiated the filing of criminal charges against the five inmates who were described as notorious drug dealers in Region I. The raid was supervised by provincial administrator lawyer Virgilio Solis and provincial legal officer lawyer Geraldine Baniqued. Magno said they conducted the raid after several complaints were filed at the governor's office alleging the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the provincial jail involving inmates allegedly "in cahoots" with the jail guards and the warden himself. Aside from the controversial shabu business in the provincial jail, the police also received reports about special treatment allegedly accorded to some inmates led by Punzal. It was learned that Doria served as former station commander of Mangatarem town when Punzal's brother was the the mayor. Lumna and Punzal were arrested for drug trafficking in 2002 and 2003 by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency headed by regional director Senior Supt. Antonio Valle, Jr. Punzal yielded 21 heat-sealed sachets and two plastic bags containing shabu weighing 106 grams. He also yielded drug paraphernalia, P9,898.50, and $45 believed to have come from the proceeds in selling illegal drug and four notebooks containing drug transactions outside the jail. Seized from Castillo were four heat-sealed plastic sachets of shabu weighing 19 grams, drug paraphernalia and one cellphone. Lumna yielded three pieces of aluminum foil with shabu, two cellphones and P24,000 cash. Two heat-sealed plastic sachets of shabu weighing 9.2 grams and a notebook containing drug transactions outside the jail were recovered from Manahan. The confiscated items were submitted to the PNP crime laboratory in Urdaneta City for examination. Doria, for his part, said he has no knowledge about the illegal drugs trade of Punzal and his group but blamed some of the jail guards for the group's illegal activities inside the jail. Doria also said his name was never mentioned by the group in its illegal drugs trade inside the jail, so there is no sufficient ground to have him linked to any illlegal activities of the five inmates. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart