Drug syndicate shelling out millions in protection money?

Police are investigating reports that the drug syndicate behind the operation of the shabu "tiangge’ in Pasig City is shelling out millions of pesos monthly in protection pay-offs.

Pasig City Rep. Robert "Dodot" Jaworski and Director Marcelo Ele Jr., commander of the police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), admitted they received the said reports.

However, Ele clarified that they have no concrete evidence as yet to confirm the drug syndicate’s "payola." "We are still evaluating the report. We are gathering evidence and verifying them," said Ele in an interview.

Ele explained that since his men raided the shabu "tiangge" at the Mapayapa compound in Barangay Sto. Tomas last Feb. 10, information pertaining to the protectors of the drug den kept coming to his office. "We are also investigating who benefitted from the alleged pay-offs," the AIDSOTF chief said.

Quoting intelligence reports, Jaworski claimed that local government and police officials were the alleged recepients of the monthly pay-offs.

Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol refused to be dragged into the issue. "I will let Gen. Ele investigate that report," said Querol.

Querol is investigating the administrative lapses of the Pasig City police and the EPD for their failure to monitor the shabu "tiangge"while Ele is looking at the possible involvement of local government and police officials on the drug syndicate.

The Metro police chief said the raids conducted by Senior Superintendent Raul Medina on the drug den was not a "zarzuela." Medina was among the 20 policemen relieved from his post because of the shabu "tiangge" raid.

"I ordered a thorough check on Medina’s report that he arrested 18 drug peddlers and users at the Mapayapa compound and it was confirmed that the suspects are still locked up in jail," said Querol. "So hindi zarzuela ang raid niya (his raid is not zarzuela)."

Querol pointed out that the last anti-drug operations conducted by Medina in the shabu "tiangge" was last Jan. 25. "Noong nag-raid sila wala pa ‘yang mga karatula ng shabu menu doon (When they conducted the raid, there is no shabu menu posted there yet)," Querol added.

Ele said they failed to recover evidence of pay-offs when they raided the shabu "tiangge," which has reportedly been operating for several years now.

"Panay balita lang pero siyempre dapat rin nating imbestigahan (It’s all just news but we need to investigate)," he told The Star.

The AIDSOTF chief admitted they recovered a police uniform inside one of the shanties in the compound. "We are also verifying who owned the uniform and whether he was involved in the drug den’s operation," said Ele.

Earlier, Ele said the drug syndicate is being protected by three policemen from the Pasig City police.

The shabu "tiangge" was ordered demolished by Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio who claimed that there was a clamor for its demolition from his constituents.

But Eusebio’s action prompted the Senate to order an inquiry to determine whether the mayor is liable for "obstruction of justice." — Non Alquitran