DOJ urged: Issue hold order on shabu lab suspects

MANILA, Philippines - Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to issue a hold departure order (HDO) or watch list order (WLO) against the Chinese nationals arrested during a raid on a shabu laboratory in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City Friday.

He said he made the call since the Bureau of Immigration, which is under the control of the DOJ, in the past has allowed the deportation of Chinese drug suspects caught in various raids, including the huge laboratories in Aurora province and Subic Bay several months ago.

“While Filipinos arrested in China are being executed, we allow Chinese nationals involved in illegal drugs to go scot-free. This is totally unfair and this also contributes to the demoralization of some of our anti-illegal drugs personnel,” Evardone said.

He said the Chinese arrested in the raid in Ayala Alabang by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) should face the full force of the law. He said authorities should also track down the financiers, leaders and masterminds of the drug syndicate operating the laboratory.

“The DOJ should also conduct an inventory of all drug cases to find out their status and to make sure that all the accused are still in the country,” Evardone said.

He said the DOJ should also review drug cases that were dismissed on technicalities and study the possibility of reviving them.

Meanwhile, the PDEA said suspects Ken Ming Chao, alias Lam Tse Kin, 49; Choi Yiu Kit, 33; Choi Yiu Chun, 33; Kwok Chi Keung, 42; and Lam Ka Chun, 51, were scheduled to undergo inquest proceedings yesterday on charges of possession and manufacturing of illegal drugs and possession of equipment used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.

The agency is still studying if Fuerte Holdings Inc., which receives rent on the one-hectare compound used by the suspects, could be held liable. The firm is owned by the family of the late Doña Chito Madrigal-Collantes.

The suspects had been renting the compound for P260,000 per month since July last year.

PDEA public information chief Evangeline Almenario said they hauled four truckloads of evidence from the shabu laboratory, the biggest volume since PDEA director general Jose Gutierrez Jr. assumed the agency’s top post last year.

Gutierrez described the facility as a “medium-scale” laboratory that can produce about 10 kilos of shabu every two to three days.