OLONGAPO CITY – The Olongapo City police office surprised its personnel with random drug tests, shortly after four policemen were arrested on Jan. 15 for allegedly protecting a “shabu” (crystal meth) laboratory inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Around 400 policemen stationed in various local police stations in this city underwent random tests on Friday, said Police Col. Randy Arceo, Olongapo City police director.
Olongapo Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. said he wanted to crack down on the presence here of illegal drug manufacturing, for which Station 2 police officers Lt. Reynato Basa Jr., Cpl. Gino Dela Cruz, Cpl. Edesyr Victor Alipio, and Cpl. Godfrey Duclayan Parentela was arrested.
The policemen were implicated after they were reportedly observed acting as lookouts when members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided the kitchen-turned-shabu laboratory at 336-B Finback Street in Kalayaan village.
The four policemen were also accused of serving as escorts of suspect Jericho Dabu, who was also detained.