Tarlac factory suspected of making shabu raided

LA PAZ, Tarlac — Acting on farmers’ complaints, a joint team of the police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the environment department raided an industrial plant here that recycles solvents, last Thursday.

Because of suspicions that the plant was allegedly a front for shabu manufacturing, La Paz Mayor Dionisio Manuel said he sought the PDEA’s help in effecting the raid.

It was not still clear though if the chemicals found in the plant owned by Ampchem Industries in Barangay Comillas were being used in making shabu.

Authorities were looking for a certain engineer Edgardo Villasor, the plant’s owner, and his business partner, one Josephine Sales, who Ampchem has reportedly contracted to transport recyclable wastes to the factory.

Manuel said seven farmers, led by Barangay Comillas councilman Victoriano de la Peña, had complained that the factory allegedly discharged toxic wastes into more than 11 hectares of ricefields.

The farmers claimed that the wastes contaminated their irrigation systems, thus destroying their palay crops.

The raid was conducted on the strength of a search warrant issued by Judge Eleanor Ventura-de Jesus of the Third Municipal Circuit Trial Court of neighboring Victoria town.

Making up the raiding team were elements of PDEA’s X-9 unit based in Fort Bonifacio, the La Paz police, the Tarlac police crime laboratory, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the epidemiology surveillance unit of the provincial health office.

Found in the factory were 629 plastic containers of sulfuric acid and hundreds of plastic drums containing etholamine solution, formaldehyde, alkaline, resist stripper, sodium hydroxide, alkaline corrosive liquid, ammonium hydroxide, ammonium chloride, citric acid and liquid flavoring.

More than 100 drums of used ink, used isopropyl alcohol, electronic wastes, essential oils, caramel color, copper solution, procullants and coagulants were also found in the plant.

Authorities said the plant’s owner faces charges of violations of the Clean Air Act. — With Ric Sapnu