Witness insists it was shabu seized from warehouse

Prosecution witness Senior Inspector David Alexander Patriana yesterday maintained that he is 100 percent sure that the samples extracted from confiscated chemicals following a raid on an illegal drug laboratory in Mandaue City last year were that of shabu.

During cross-examination yesterday, Patriana maintained that he followed the rules and procedures in conducting the examination with the supervision of Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory chief Myrna Arreola. He also showed the court samples of the chemicals.

The other day, the defense panel questioned Patriana's authority to examine the recovered illegal drug for his failure to sign on some of the samples taken from the chemicals.

Patriana also maintained that the equipment seized from the warehouse were for the manufacture of shabu. He added that based on the number of seized equipment, it was possible to undertake a mass production of the illegal drug.

After Patriana, the prosecution presented the third witness, Jude Mendoza, a medical technologist of the PNP Regional Crime Laboratory.

Mendoza admitted that he was assigned to undertake a test on the chemicals inside the warehouse in barangay Umapad where he said he noticed gallons of mineral water and chemicals.

Due to lack of time, the prosecution panel decided to continue the direct examination of Mendoza when the trial resumes on July 7.

The prosecution panel, which announced that it would present more than 20 witnesses in the case, maintained that Mendoza's testimony would strengthen its case against the 11 suspects, some of whom are foreign nationals, who were arrested during the raid.