BIG DRUG RING NOW IN REGION ONE

P/SUPT. Dionicio Borromeo, chief of police of Dagupan, is in hot water for his alleged involvement in a big shabu laboratory that was busted by lawmen in barangay Upper Binmotobot, Naguilian, La Union last July 9.

P/Sr Supt Isagani Nerez, Pangasinan police director, said Borromeo voluntarily filed his leave of absence as Dagupan chief of police while under administrative investigation.

Nerez installed Borromeo’s deputy, Supt. Gerardo Roxas, as officer-in-charge of the Dagupan police.

“I will give P/ Supt Borromeo the benefit of the doubt,” said Nerez, himself a lawyer, pointing out a principle in criminal law that a person is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a proper forum.

The raid was conducted by elements of the La Union Police Provincial Office, Police Mobile Group, Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, the Naguilian Police Station and sanitary inspectors of the Municipal Health Office of Naguilian.

The lawmen were armed with a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Ferdinand Fe of Bauang, La Union.

Nerez said “it is easy to hurl accusation against a person or a police officer but to prove this is another thing”.

Borromeo, who assumed as chief of police of Dagupan in July last year, was implicated by Dante Tomas Palaganas, one of the two arrested caretakers of the shabu laboratory. The other caretaker arrested was one Andy Tangalin.

Nerez said he knows Borromeo to be as an upright officer, pointing out that the latter is even a Cavalier awardee of the Philippine Military Academy where he graduated in 1992.

Nerez said he already talked to Borromeo on Monday and the latter said he was more than willing to go on leave to ensure an impartial investigation on him.

The administrative investigation on Borromeo was reportedly endorsed by Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr.

In talk to newsmen by phone, Borromeo said he sought his own investigation so that the truth will come out. He did not elaborate.

Borromeo’s record in the Dagupan police may help belie his involvement. Under his watch, the Dagupan police arrested more than 100 drug pushers and users.

RAID

The raid on the shabu laboratory yielded six truckloads of chemicals and paraphernalia that can produce up to 180,000 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu with an estimated street value of P1 trillion.

This was computed based on the standard of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) that a kilo of shabu costs P6 million.

Also confiscated were 159 bags of soda, volumes of iodine crystal, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorous, organic solvent, dozens of cylinders and other paraphernalia, all used for the manufacture of shabu.

The shabu laboratory was located in a rented house and lot owned by one Saturnino Tangalin.

The property was rented by a certain George Cordero with unknown address and who is now the object of an intensive manhunt.

The farmhouse-turned shabu laboratory has a high perimeter fence made of galvanized iron sheets. The confiscated chemicals were concealed in a half-finished bungalow which has a cave with concrete floorings.

Results of tactical police interrogation yielded another truckload of buried containers, cauldrons and chemicals which were discovered when police operatives dug areas within the secluded farmhouse.

A task force was formed by Ilocos police regional director Chief Supt. Romeo Hilomen to conduct a thorough investigation to unmask those behind the shabu laboratory, estimated to be more worth than a trillion pesos.

Heading Task Force Bimmutubot are Chief Supt. Armando Gatan, deputy police regional director; Police Supt. Jane Aunzo, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), La Union police director Sr. Supt. Noli Talino, Sr. Supt. Marvin Bolabola of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Senior Supt. Edgar Basbas, chief of the Regional Investigation Office, and a representative of the PNP Crime Laboratatory.

The task force vowed that no one would be spared in its investigation on the incident even if they are members of law enforcement agencies.

CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION

This is parallel to the investigation that will be conducted by the House of Representatives based on a resolution filed by Rep. Tomas “Butch” Dumpit Jr. of the second district of La Union.

Dumpit said that an “informant” is now under “protective custody” who could possibly shed light into the operations of the shabu laboratory.

Taliño said initial investigation showed the clandestine shabu laboratory started operations a few months before the 2007 elections.

It was the first drug laboratory ever discovered in the Ilocos Region, more than a year after an abandoned drug laboratory said to be operated by Chinese was found in Burgos, Pangasinan.—LM

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