Chinese, Pinoys in shabu lab charged

Charges of drug pushing and illegal possession of drugs were filed over the weekend against seven Chinese nationals and three Filipinos arrested during a raid Friday on a suspected clandestine shabu laboratory in Quezon City.

This developed as Senior Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, head of the Metro Manila Drug Enforcement Group (MMDEG) claimed they are presently determining the real owners of the two houses raided at Loyola Heights to determine the role they played in the shabu lab.

Radovan admitted they failed to identify as yet the Chinese drug syndicate behind the Quezon City shabu lab operations.

Charged in the Quezon City prosecutor’s office were Chinese nationals Jimmy Chua, 42; Sally Ong, 44; Li Lainar, 45; Li Manchuck, 50; Tom Ruiz Chua, 20; Sam Li Chua and Willy Anson Ang, both 29, and Filipinos Jesselyn Lamosa, 26, and Concepcion Andohon, 26, of Bukidnon and Jamil Maramanay, 19, of Cagayan de Oro City. According to Radovan, a prosecutor ordered Lamosa and Andohon released for further investigation.

"We have no goods against the two housemaids," said Radovan stressing that Lamosa and Andohon appeared naive on the operations of the shabu lab.

Elements of the MMDEG, anti-trafficking division of the Narcotics Group (NarcGroup) and the Western Police District (WPD) raided Friday houses at 75 C. Salvador St. Varsity Hills Subd., and 15-B Gonzales St., Xavierville Subd., both in Loyola Heights. Radovan said they were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Enrico Lanzanas of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 7 for Jimmy Chua and Sally Ong. The raiders recovered 50 kilos of shabu and chemicals like sodium hydroxide, barium sulfate, sodium acetate, acetone and assorted laboratory equipment from the Salvador St., "laboratory" while four more kilos of shabu were seized from the Gonzales St., residence.

Although it is already immaterial to the case, Radovan said they are presently trying to determine the real owners of the house and their connection to the drug syndicate behind the operation of the shabu lab.

Initial reports reaching Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay showed that the house along Salvador St., was formerly owned by a certain Mariano Singson. However, the house was put up for sale three months ago and the Chinese nationals started moving in with their equipment last April. — Non Alquitran