Shabu ‘makers’ dropping cop execs’ names

The eight Chinese nationals and three Filipinos who yielded 20 kilos of shabu in last week’s successful raid on a makeshift shabu laboratory in Pasig City are dropping the names of a police officer and an official of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), police said yesterday.

Elements of the Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) are presently determining whether the police and Napolcom officials are protectors of the drug syndicate headed by Cai Hontian alias Wah Yah, who remains at large.

Cai is the chemist of the group and a member of the 14-K drug syndicate based in Hong Kong. He was listed in the Narcotics Group’s (NarcGroup) order-of-battle.

The names of the police and Napolcom officials cropped up during tactical interrogation of the 11 suspects who are detained at the RISOO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig.

Outgoing Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Edgar Galvante said he has not yet received the result of the tactical interrogation of the 11 suspects. But he stressed that if the report is true, he will order a deeper probe to unmask the illegal activities of the police and Napolcom officials involved.

However, Galvante clarified that it will be up to his successor, Director Edgar Aglipay to pursue the charges against the erring police and Napolcom officials if their links with the 11 suspects and involvement in their drug peddling operations are established.

"The investigation to unmask the erring police and Napolcom officials would go on but I think it would be my successor’s job to pursue the filing of charges if necessary," said Galvante in a telephone interview.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) hierarchy announced Tuesday the designation of Aglipay as Galvante’s replacement effective immediately. Galvante went back to his former post as the PNP deputy chief for operations, which was vacated by the recent passing away of Deputy Director General Romeo Peña.