PNP: No shabu found in car of slain Albay broadcaster

LEGAZPI CITY — The white crystalline substance found in several sachets inside a sling bag in the car of slain broadcaster Joey Llana were found not to be “shabu” (crystal meth), ruling out the possibility that the killing of the broadcaster was drug related, Bicol police said on Saturday.

Supt. Benito Dipad, Daraga police chief said the substance inside the eight plastic sachets which were initially suspected to be illegal drugs is not shabu according to test results from the Bicol police crime laboratory based in this city.

The crime lab results said the substance came out negative for methamphetamine hydrochloride in a test conducted by a forensic chemist of the PNP crime laboratory here.

Dipad added that according to the laboratory report, urine sample taken from the victim’s body also gave a negative result for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol methamphetamine metabolites, which showed that Llana was not using illegal drugs.

The laboratory results said Dipad, dispel an earlier report that the slain broadcaster might have been involved in illegal drugs. Dipad added that Llana was also not included in the roster of illegal drug personalities in the government’s drug watchlist.

Meanwhile, Dipad said members of Task Force Llana are still gathering evidence and looking for possible witnesses to pin down the broadcaster’s killers and possible mastermind.

Llana was gunned down on Friday morning while on his way to radio station DWZR in Legazpi City. /muf