Taguig police station was turned into a war zone when a platoon of rookie policemen from the Regional Special Action Unit (RSAU) raided the station's drug enforcement unit shortly after midnight yesterday to rescue two of their colleagues arrested earlier for bribery. The fierce shootout, which lasted for about 30 minutes, took place within the Taguig Municipal Hall quadrangle in Barangay Tuktukan around 12:10 a.m. Prior to the shootout, members of the Taguig DEU, now called Anti- Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOFT), had arrested Kahar Goldy, 27, and Benjamin Usmar, 49, both Moslems, in a buy-bust operation in Bahay Pagkakaisa in Maharlika Village for selling illegal drugs and possessing a firearm. [continues 285 words]
Alarmed, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has blamed the impact of globalization for the growing number of Filipino children involved in the illegal drugs trade. "Drug use is often the stepping stone to children's greater involvement in selling, distribution and production of (illegal) drugs. There is also a link between drug use and the other worst forms of child labor. Children engaged in prostitution, pornography, working in the streets, involved in deep-sea fishing and those in the construction sector are examples of their vulnerability to drug use," ILO chief Werner Blenk said. [continues 370 words]
Two members of the Taguig police and their two civilian cohorts were arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Force in an entrapment operation over the weekend for alleged extortion activities. Three other suspects identified as Insp. Ricardo Luciano, SPO2 Benjamin Payumo and PO2 Badlis Asmad, chief and operatives, respectively, of Taguig Special Operations Unit managed to elude arrest during the operation. At a press conference, PNP AIDSOTF chief Deputy Director Egdar Aglipay presented arrested suspects SPO1 Johnny Galis, 45, and PO2 Rene Data, 30, both of the Taguig Police SOU; Ariel Trinidad, 35 and Rogelio Robello, 21. [continues 172 words]
A 15-year-old boy was shot and wounded by a policeman who claimed he was only trying to arrest the boy for selling shabu at sitio Mohon in barangay Tisa, this city, last Tuesday evening. The boy, also a resident of the place, sustained a gunshot wound on his left body with the bullet exiting his back, and is now in critical condition at the Cebu City Medical Center where the policeman himself had brought him. The policeman, PO1 Christopher Gabunada, after taking the boy waited the arrival at the hospital of responding policemen to whom he surrendered his .38-caliber service firearm with five live bullets and one empty shell. [continues 251 words]
Police operatives seized several drums of alleged shabu precursors and other equipment from a suspected shabu laboratory in Tondo, Manila yesterday afternoon. Sketchy reports revealed the raided warehouse is located along 1753 Jose Abad Santos Avenue cor. Quiricada St. Initial investigation disclosed the said warehouse has already been abandoned for several months but was traced to be owned by a certain Eugene Tan. Police seized four drums of alleged precursor materials, strainers, evaporators, plastic containers and packing materials reportedly used in the "purifying" of raw shabu. [continues 72 words]
Authorities have arrested three notorious drug pushers in Muntinlupa City following a series of anti-drug operations in drug-affected areas of the city. The city's Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Office (Dapco) reported the arrest of Jonard Marlin, 34, tricycle driver, of San Guillermo Street, Bayanan; Eliseo de Vera Jr., 38, of Munting Nayon, Putatan, and Florencio Campillo, 38, of Freewill Subdivision, Putatan. Dapco chief Col. Erasto Sanchez said Marlin was arrested on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Juanita Guerrero of the Regional Trial Court Branch 204. The warrant was issued after a positive test-buy operation conducted earlier by the enforcers against the suspect. [continues 80 words]
To discourage the use of prohibited drugs in the country's high schools, the Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday made an unannounced random drug testing in 17 public and private schools in Southern Mindanao. According to DepEd school Health and Nutrition Center director Thelma Santos the drug testing covers secondary students in Southern Mindanao. Santos said under the program, selected public schools and private schools in every region are required to undergo the test, 30 students are randomly selected by school officials in each schools. [continues 251 words]
The family of a 28-year-old taxi driver, who was murdered by the leader of a well-entrenched drug syndicate in Caloocan City, yesterday appealed to President Arroyo to impose sanctions on Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. for not doing anything about the incident. The murder happened around 9 a.m. last Tuesday at Phase 12, Bagong Silang when Diosdado Garcia was shot by a certain Asiong Omar, alleged Moslem drug lord, in the latter's "safe house" in the city. [continues 491 words]
A ranking official of the Bureau of Immigration who was earlier accused of "harboring" am alleged Chinese drug trafficker yesterday denounced the report, blaming the controversy on the "rift" between him and Immigration officials belonging to the BI's Intelligence department. Immigration Associate Commissioner Teodoro Delarmante yesterday assailed the three intelligence officials including their chief for issuing reports that he harbored and ordered the release of a Chinese who was nabbed after being suspected of engaging in illegal drug activities. Delarmente, in a press statement, said he ordered the release of Li Yong Cheng because of the "highly suspicious and irregular" operation the intelligence agents conducted last Saturday against the Chinese. [continues 400 words]
A high-ranking official of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) could possibly face administrative and criminal charges for allegedly "harboring" a suspected undocumented Chinese drug trafficker during an operation two weeks ago. In a "after-mission report" submitted to BI Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. by BI Intelligence Division operatives Ansari Macaayan, Maclin Lanto and Andrian Mangondato, they claimed it was BI Associate Commissioner Teodoro Delarmante who "harbored" and ordered the release of a Chinese who was the subject of a legitimate operation on the strength of a mission order. [continues 377 words]
The government's continuing crackdown on illegal drugs -- spearheaded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency -- has created a host of problems for criminal syndicates, obliging them to institute radical changes in their distribution setup in order for them to satisfy the tremendous demand for their deadly product (by and large methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu) by millions of unfortunate addicts all over the country. One sure sign that tremendous inroads are being made into the murky netherworld of the local drug lords is the fact that the price of shabu in the streets has skyrocketed in recent months, already way beyond the reach of your ordinary run-of-the-mill junkie. [continues 545 words]
Young workers using prohibited drugs are increasing. This was the result of the study conducted by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) concerning the prevalence of drug use among the youth or those within their productive age. Alex Aguilar, spokesman of TUCP, an organized labor group, explained that previously the problem among young workers was alcohol abuse, but this is superseded now by drug addiction. "Mostly, the reason they raised for being into drugs and alcohol use are peer pressure, while some are just curious, but eventually they can no longer resist it and they become hooked on it," Aguilar said. [continues 316 words]
Table Talk (Monthly Forum) Condensed from a group interview by Ro-Charmaine M. Pidal Lunch and venue sponsored by Tin Hau Restaurant, Mandarin Oriental, Manila They have all had a trip with the devil. Their entry point was either small doses of cough syrup or some grass puffed with the barkada. What were experimental trips became a habit of sorts, and as it became more frequent, the rituals increased -- and smoke was almost always accompanied by alcohol and sex. While the puffing continued -- once a week, twice a week, everyday -- new trips emerged to try, like the most popular ice. Still they denied their addiction: "We're no druggies, we're just fine, peace, man!" [continues 4148 words]
Drug addiction is one of the world's oldest ills, and countless governments have tried to end this sordid industry in vain. Drug lords are as powerful and slippery as sharks in the ocean, and it seems no net is big enough or tough enough to catch them. Money is their object, and morals be damned. If one is ever caught, many others are born. Pushers find themselves in the "business" for many reasons, but the most common is survival, and again, morals be damned. They need the money, they are too weak to evade the system, and they don't care what happens to those they lure into the drug habit as long as their needs for the immediate future are met. [continues 395 words]
The proposed drug testing for candidates in the 2004 polls will no longer be implemented. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) admitted yesterday it could not compel candidates to undergo drug testing and attach the result of this in their certificate of candidacy (CoC). Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said the Constitution only states that for a candidate to qualify, he must be a Filipino, a registered voter, of legal age and a resident of a certain area for at least six months and has no derogatory records. [continues 438 words]
An investigation on the alleged presence of a huge "shabu" factory in President Arroyo's hometown of Lubao, Pampanga, was sought yesterday on reports that a culvert pipe factory in the town is being used as a front for the manufacture of methamphetamine hydrochloride, shabu or "poor man's cocaine." According to Minority Leader Carlos Padilla, the factory, which is reportedly owned by Alfredo Tiongco, is located in a heavily guarded compound in San Jose Gumi in Lubao. Tiongco had been the subject of a Senate probe a few years ago in connection with his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade. [continues 275 words]
