Lim vows to name drug lords' protectors

There's no stopping Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim now.

Lim said yesterday he will reveal the names of local government and police officials who reportedly protect drug peddlers and rake in profits from the P250-billion illegal trade.

After his spray-painting campaign in residences of suspected drug pushers was declared unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals, Lim vowed to unmask the people behind the drug syndicates after confirming reports that some influential politicians and ranking police officers were protecting drug lords.

He blamed these officials for the proliferation of dangerous drugs in the country.

Lim ordered Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director General Panfilo Lacson to mobilize intelligence agents who will monitor politicians, local government units, and policemen who are suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

He said politicians involved could even be using their share of the profits from the sale of dangerous narcotics to bankroll their campaign for the 2001 elections.

Last year, Lacson alleged that former PNP chief Roberto Lastimoso was coddling big-time drug lords based in Cebu City. Lastimoso was charged with graft before the Office of the Ombudsman for associating with suspected syndicate members.

Lim said he wants the PNP to exert all efforts to catch erring policemen and politicians who are in cahoots with shady drug characters.

Meanwhile, at the PNP National Capital Region office, Chief Superintendent Edgardo Aglipay ordered a tight watch over the proliferation of so-called "ecstasy" pills in entertainment strips in the metropolis, particularly in Quezon City.

A counterfeit tablet of the designer drug was reportedly being mass-produced by unscrupulous traders due to its high cost and popularity.

Aglipay said the Drug Enforcement and Prevention of the Central Police District (CPD) has raised the alarm after receiving reports that ecstasy has flooded bars, discos and pubs frequented by the elite as well as rich teenagers.

CPD director Chief Superintendent Victor Luga ordered his men to be on the alert for suspected ecstasy peddlers who are believed to have staked their turf in popular disco joints and KTV bars along the stretch of Timog, Quezon, West, Tomas Morato and Commonwealth avenues.

Luga directed the drug enforcement unit to field its undercover agents and arrest those who possess ecstasy.

Laboratory findings reaching the DILG indicate that ecstasy is a sexual stimulant, a single tablet of which can cause negative behavior in a minor.

Police reports said a tablet of the drug can be bought from P1,000 to P1,500 in bars and discos in Metro Manila. Unlike other illegal drugs, ecstasy, being a tablet, can easily be taken by a person who wants to have a "profound sexual experience."

Lim said that the designer drug has the potential to make anybody go wild, and is particularly dangerous to females. Its sale has not been approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs, he said.

He asked the public to immediately report to the police any person or establishment found selling the prohibited drug to prevent its unabated distribution. --