Pubdate: Mon, 30 Jan 2006
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2006
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Non Alquitran
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

Four Drug Informants Seek P7.5-M Reward

Four civilian informants who helped the police in busting four large
shabu laboratories in Metro Manila and the provinces last year are
asking the government to expedite the release of their P7.5 million
reward.

Director Marcelo Ele Jr., commander of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special
Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), said he is helping the four
informants claim their reward to give "more teeth" to the government's
war against drug syndicates.

Ele is hoping that the four informants will be fully paid by the
government so that other drug informants would surface to reveal what
they know about the remaining drug syndicates operating in the country.

"Kailangan maibigay ang reward para ganahan ang iba pa na lumutang at
ituro ang iba pang shabu laboratory sa bansa (The reward money should
be given so that other informants would step forward to volunteer
information about drug laboratories operating in the country)," the
AIDSOTF chief said.

Ele said the four drug informants worked for the neutralization of
shabu laboratories in Scout Chuatuco in Quezon City, Antipolo City,
Mandaue, Cebu and Davao City where the government confiscated finished
products and raw materials for illegal drugs worth billions of pesos.

Under the "Private Eye" program of the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), a drug informant is set to receive P1.5 million once a
shabu laboratory is busted because of the tip,

Earlier, PDEA Director General Anselmo Avenido claimed his office had
paid informants a total of P7.32 million last year. He said all the
informants need to do is to comply with all the requirements and a
multi-sectoral Rewards Committee would adjudicate all claims.

A number of informants from AIDSOTF have tried to claim their rewards
though for years but not one of them has received payment so far.

Ele said they already submitted before the PDEA the requirements
needed.

"What I understand is that the documentation were all in," an AIDSOTF
official said. "It is now up to the board to decide whether to give
the money or not to our informants."

According to Ele, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director
General Arturo Lomibao has thrown his full support to the AIDSOTF drug
informants rewards program.

An AIDSOTF official claimed that the four informants are "hopping from
one place to another" to evade the wrath of other members of drug
syndicates they helped bust.

Ang iba ay may death threat o napilitang humiwalay sa kani-kanilang
pamilya at baka madamay pa sa problema (Some of them have been
receiving death threats and chose to live separately from their
families to keep them from harm)," he said. "Kaya malaking bagay kung
makuha nila ang reward na matagal na nilang inasam-asam (So it is
important that they receive the reward money)." 
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MAP posted-by: Tom