Crame ‘detains’ 500 cops for surprise drug testing

To their utter surprise, about 500 policemen were "detained" at Camp Crame yesterday during a symposium on the drug situation to make them undergo random drug tests.

The Philippine National Police Narcotics Group conducted the surprise test on members of various drug enforcement units who were attending a symposium with the theme "The Metro Manila Drug Situation" at the PNP headquarters.

PNP Narcotics Group head Director Efren Fernandez said the "surprised" anti-narcotics agents were not allowed to leave the PNP Multi-Purpose Hall yesterday afternoon so that drug examinations could be administered to them by the Crime Laboratory Service under Chief Superintendent Jose Marlowe.

Fernandez said the drug tests were initiated by the police leadership in view of the mounting complaints of drug addiction among uniformed personnel.

"The drug testing can effectively enforce the campaign against drugs. They themselves should be ascertained to have no involvement in the abuse of shabu and other regulated drugs," he said.

Fernandez added the symposium was called primarily to synchronize efforts in the anti-drug campaign in the National Capital Region.

"This is actually a principle that the PNP is observing and in fact, that is not only for the start but it is going to be done on a periodic basis... We should start within our ranks before we can be counted on in this crusade by our people," he said.

The NarcGroup also initiated the same drug tests among 300 agents at its headquarters last Nov. 24 wherein only one member failed.

Fernandez added that other random drug tests will be jointly conducted by the NarcGroup and the National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Coordinating Center.

Meanwhile, about P2 million worth of shabu was seized by police in a buy-bust operation in Cavite City recently.

Police arrested two suspected pushers identified as Damocao Lipogay, 25, alias Arman, single, jobless and a resident of Parañaque City, and Mangotawar Sumangan Jr., 22, alias Nick, single, jobless and residing in Meycauayan, Bulacan and a native of Lanao del Sur.

The suspects were arrested last Dec. 5 in the vicinity of SM Bacoor by elements of the 4th Regional Narcotics Office after they sold approximately one kilo of shabu with a street value of P2 million to a narcotics poseur-buyer.