Pubdate: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines) Copyright: 2005 Philippine Daily Inquirer Contact: http://www.inquirer.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073 Author: Romulo Ponte Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines DRUG MENACE SPREADS TO 30 VILLAGES OF SAN PABLO, POLICE SAY SAN PABLO CITY -- Illegal drugs, like shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride, are widespread in at least 30 villages of this city, according to the city police chief. In a report presented to the city council of San Pablo about the current status of the anti-drug campaign of the government, Senior Supt. Elmo Sarona, San Pablo City police chief, said that the drug menace has now affected 30 barrios. Sarona said the barangays affected by the spread of the illegal drugs included the villages of 1-B, Bagumbayan, II-A, III-C, II-E, VI-D, VI-E, Del Remedio, San Nicholas, San Cristobal, San Diego, San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Gregorio, San Jose, San Juan, San Lucas I, San Lucas II, San Marcos, Sta. Isabel, Santiago II, San Rafael, Sta. Elena, San Buenaventura, Sta. Maria, San Roque, Sto. Angel, Sta. Felomina, Sto. Cristo and Sta. Cruz (Putol). Sarona said that since January 2005, the city PNP's anti-drug operations resulted in the arrest of 94 persons involved in drugs, 12 of them were drug pushers and 82 were drug users. At least 52 of these drug suspects are now facing cases in various courts. Among the latest drug suspects arrested by the police included the three sons of late Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Flor Contemplacion. They are Sandrex, 32; twin brothers Joel, 25 and Junjun, 25. Police had said that the three were arrested allegedly in a buy-bust operation for "peddling illegal drugs shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in their area for years." Sarona also reported that in the year 2003-2004, the city police had conducted 119 anti-drug operations, which resulted in the apprehension of 284 suspects involved in drugs. Of the number, 52 were drug pushers, 202 were drug users and a total of 100 grams of shabu were confiscated. The police chief appealed to the village officials to regularly have a dialogue with the police to speed up the process of solving the illegal drug problem in their areas. Sarona also requested the city council of San Pablo to provide funds to the police station for the acquisition of facilities needed to determine whether arrested suspects are actual users of the prohibited chemicals or not. The city police head finally requested the council to pass an ordinance that would provide legal counsel to some members of the PNP who are facing charges in court as a result of their operations against individuals involved in illegal drugs. - ---