Metro police to probe failure of intelligence in Pasig’s drug ‘tiangge’

Metro police chief Director Vidal wants to know what caused the failure of the Eastern Police District (EPD) and the local police to detect the presence of the drug tiangge in Pasig City.

Querol warned that he would not hesitate to dismiss policemen from the EPD and the Pasig City police anti-drug units if they were found remiss in their duties.

The incident brought embarrassment to the police organization.

"I wanted to know what caused the monumental intelligence failure of the EPD and the Pasig City police in the shabu tiangge operation," Querol told The Star.

"Policemen found having knowledge of the drug den but failed to act or report its operation to higher authorities would be automatically dismissed from the police service," he said.

Querol is investigating the administrative lapses of policemen in detecting the drug tiangge while Director Marcelo Ele Jr., commander of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF), is probing the involvement of police and local officials in the illegal operations.

The Metro police chief tasked Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., intelligence chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), to head the investigation.

Ele said, however, that their investigation on the drug tiangge was put on hold because of the failed coup attempt against the Arroyo administration.

Ele also heads the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management (DIDM) of the PNP tasked to investigate the involvement of police officials on the failed coup.

Earlier, Ele said they already identified three policemen from the EPD who were allegedly protecting the drug den.

Rojas said they would also look into the protection angle, but so far they have no evidence on hand yet to pinpoint to a single policeman as the tiangge protector.

At least 21 policemen were sacked because of the drug den debacle, including EPD director Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, Pasig City police chief Senior Superintendent Raul Medina, NCRPO anti-drug unit chief Superintendent Jerry Valeroso and Police Community Precinct 20 commander Senior Inspector Salvador de la Cruz.

Rojas said he has in his possession the written explanations of the four police officials regarding the drug den. However, he refused to reveal its contents pending the gathering of additional evidence that will either pin them down or clear them of the charges. — Non Alquitran