40 more La Union cops relieved over shabu lab

By Jerry Padilla and Jennelyn Mondejar

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – Fifteen officers and 25 personnel of police units in La Union and the regional police command at Camp Florendo here were ordered relieved from their posts on August 12 following the probe on the huge shabu laboratory discovered in Naguilian town last July 9. Two of the relieved officers were municipal police chiefs and another was a unit head at Camp Diego Silang.

Director Edgardo Acuña, Philippine National Police chief of personnel and records management at Camp Crame, signed the Aug. 12 order relieving 40 police personnel and reassigning them to the holding unit at the PNP national headquarters.

A source said there was no reason indicated in the relief order but this was related to the investigation into the shabu lab. “Although they are not directly involved in the operation, investigators would like to dig deeper on what they possibly know about it.”

Most of the relieved police personnel were earlier assigned to the Regional Mobile Group formerly headed by Supt. Dionicio Borromeo, who was relieved as Dagupan City police chief after he was implicated in the shabu lab. Dante Palaganas, arrested caretaker of the shabu lab, tagged Borromeo as one of the protectors of the illegal drug operations in Barangay Bimmutubot, Naguilian town.

Last July 31, police filed a complaint against Borromeo with the provincial prosecutor’s office here, along with PO3 Joey Abang, PO2 Walter Banan, PO1 Rodolfo Damian, lot owner Eusebio Tangalin, and Joselito Artuz alias George Cordero, the shabu lab’s alleged financier from Marilao, Bulacan, and six Chinese men.

Palaganas and Andy Tangalin were earlier charged before the Bauang regional trial court.

The Congressional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs chaired by Ilocos Norte Rep. Roquito Ablan was scheduled to inspect the shabu lab site at press time in line with the House investigation sought by Rep. Tomas Dumpit Jr., whose resolution got the support of first district Rep. Victor Ortega.

This, as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group recommended the relief of four policemen, including a police colonel, linked to the operation of the busted shabu laboratory in La Union. The CIDG forwarded their recommendation last week to Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. who has yet to act on it.

“We already submitted our initial recommendation to Gen. Razon. It is up to him to announce whether he’ll sustain our findings or not,” a CIDG official said.

Charged last week before the La Union provincial prosecutor’s office for violation of Section 8 in relation to Section 26 Article of R.A. 9165 were Borromeo, PO3 Joey Abang, PO2 Walter Banan, PO1 Rodolfo Damian, lot owner Eusebio Tangalin, shabu lab alleged financier Joselito Artuz, alias George Cordero and several John Does including six Chinese nationals led by a certain Jimmy.

They were charged based on the seven-page affidavit of the shabu lab caretaker Palaganas. Palaganas alleged that Borromeo ordered him to scout for an area where they intend to put up a piggery but it turned out later to be a shabu laboratory.

He said Cordero leased the area from Tangalin for P20,000 a month and the Chinese nationals cooked shabu in the said place four times since May last year.

Borromeo was relieved from his post earlier, apparently to prevent him from influencing the investigation of the case by Task Force Bimmotobot tasked by Razon to investigate the operation of the shabu lab in Naguillan. Those recommended for relief from Police Regional Office 1 were Abang, Banan and Damian.

CIDG director Chief Supt. Raul Castañeda said they took the statements of at least 20 policemen, including officers, suspected to have something to do with the shabu lab operations.

Castañeda said they gave Borromeo five days to submit his counter-affidavit on the case but the accused waived his right to do so saying he finds it necessary only to present his side in court.