Mass set to mark ‘Shabu 11 conviction’

A THANKSGIVING Mass will be held this morning at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral  following last Thursday’s conviction of 11 men  in the 2004 mega shabu laboratory  case in Mandaue City.

Former Cebu City south district legislator Antonio Cuenco and former undersecretary Paul Clarence Oaminal of the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) will attend the Mass.

Oaminal said  the conviction should spur law enforcers to  double their efforts in the war against illegal drugs.

The decision of  Judge Marilyn Lagura Yap of the Regional Trial Court is not yet final.

Calvin Tan, whom she convicted as the financier of the shabu operation, said he would contest the decision.

Seized during the Sept. 24, 2004 raid were 675 kilograms of high-grade shabu worth P1.3 billion.The drug ring operated in a rented warehouse used for “cooking” the shabu.  Chemicals on site were enough to make 15 more tons, making it one of the biggest  laboratories in the country.

Tan said he was just framed as the boss ‘because of the reward money.” He was referring to a policy that entitles informants to 10 per cent of the street value of confiscated drugs if they help authorities convict drug traffickers.

British national Hung Chin Chang a.k.a Simon Lao was cleared after he turned state witness./Correspondent Fem Dumaboc and  Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol