Cop convicted in shabu lab case surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - A police official who was meted life imprisonment for protecting the operation of a shabu laboratory busted in La Union in 2008 gave himself up to his superior in Cavite late Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, deputy director for administration of the Cavite police, is now in the custody of the Cavite police and will be turned over to the La Union court which convicted him.

Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, Calabarzon police director, said Borromeo surrendered to his immediate superior, Cavite police chief Superintendent Alexander Rafael, at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Cavite police informed Estipona that it got a copy of the arrest warrant against Borromeo through fax yesterday morning and that Borromeo presented a doctor’s certificate that he was really sick when he went on leave last Monday.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said Borromeo was ordered dismissed from the service after he was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay a P10-million fine.

Cerbo said Borromeo’s conviction would send a strong message to all police personnel of the honest–to-goodness campaign of the national police against illegal drugs.

Borromeo was the police chief of Dagupan City when he tagged as protector of the shabu lab busted in Naguilian, La Union.

Aside from Borromeo, another cop, SPO1 Joey Abang, was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in jail and ordered to pay a P500,000 fine. – With Ed Amoroso, Jun Elias