2 CIDG officials axed for misdeclaring drugs

MANILA, Philippines - Two Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) officials were dismissed yesterday for failing to properly declare the illegal drugs they confiscated from two Chinese men in Malabon City Wednesday.

CIDG chief Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr., ordered an investigation to determine whether Chief Inspector Edgar Batoon and Senior Inspector Ricardo Luciano and their men committed irregularities when they arrested Antonio Go, 52; and Hua Shi, 24.

To avoid talk of a possible whitewash of the case, Pagdilao recommended that the Philippine National Police’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management handle the pre-charge and the summary dismissal proceedings against Batoon, Luciano and their men.

Batoon and Luciano led a team from the CIDG’s Special Reaction Unit (SRU) in an operation to arrest Go, who was reportedly involved in gunrunning activities in Metro Manila.

The CIDG team cornered Go near a gasoline station along McArthur Highway in Barangay Potrero at about 7 p.m. Wednesday. They also arrested Shi, who was in Go’s Ford Everest (ZAK-237).

The lawmen found a .45 caliber automatic pistol on Go’s person, and another .45 caliber pistol, a .22 Magnum revolver, two magazines, and at least 10 bullets when they searched his car.

The CIDG operatives also confiscated three transparent plastic bags of what they suspected to be shabu. The SRU team, however, did not indicate the approximate volume of shabu in their report, prompting speculation that they understated the amount of illegal drugs they confiscated.

Pagdilao said the CIDG SRU filed Thursday drug and gun charges against Go and Shi before the Malabon prosecutor’s office.

Pagdilao named Senior Superintendent Elmo Sarona, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Division (CIDD), to head the fact-finding committee to probe the alleged irregularities committed by Batoon, Luciano and their men.

The CIDG chief said he is also closely coordinating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for assistance in ferreting out the truth so those responsible will be dealt with accordingly.