Pubdate: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2006 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Death+Penalty (Death Penalty) Editorial - Failure Of Law Enforcement The most troubling picture that is emerging following the raid on a shabu tiangge or flea market in Pasig is that it was not an isolated operation. The circumstances that allowed a shantytown to operate as one big drug den in the heart of a bustling city are not unique to Pasig. Surely there are other places in this country where entire communities have learned to manufacture their own shabu and set up one-stop shops for drug dealers and their customers. Anti-narcotics agents from Camp Crame are said to be hunting down at least three Pasig policemen and three barangay officials, including the barangay captain, in connection with the shabu tiangge. Unidentified City Hall officials are also likely to be questioned, investigators said. Several Pasig cops with jurisdiction over the Mapayapa compound have been sacked. Yesterday the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency also relieved its team with jurisdiction over Pasig. Authorities should not stop at the relief of these people. Law enforcers and other public officials who break the law or coddle lawbreakers deserve the harshest punishment. Crime cannot flourish if law enforcers are doing their jobs. All indications point to an appalling failure of law enforcement in Pasig. Yesterday a police officer attributed the long existence of the shabu tiangge to a failure of intelligence. That is bad enough, but there has to be more to this case than plain ineptness or sleeping on the job. Reports said the three wanted cops were often seen inside the compound. The three barangay officials, now missing, were apparently also fully aware of activities in the shantytown. Why did they do nothing about a criminal activity that can warrant capital punishment? Shabu use has been linked to violent crimes including rape and homicide. Apart from this, shabu dealers often prey on the young, and kicking the habit can become a lifetime struggle. Foreigners may call shabu poor man's cocaine, but the drug is still too expensive for many Filipinos. Young, jobless shabu users often turn to robbery to sustain their habit. The government cannot afford to slacken in its crackdown on drug trafficking. In Pasig, however, the campaign not only slackened but ground to a halt as certain public officials apparently dipped their fingers into the lucrative drug trade. - --- MAP posted-by: Tom