Former mayor, 4 others charged for seized P1.9-B worth of ‘shabu’

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) filed in the Tuguegarao prosecutors office criminal charges against two former elected officials and three others for operating a “shabu” laboratory where P1.9-billion worth of illegal drugs was seized.

Facing a case for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act are lawyer Orlino Agatep Sr., 66 years old, a former mayor of Lasam, Cagayan; Benjamin Chua, 61, a former barangay chair of Gattaran, Cagayan;  Nelson Mallari, 50, Joey Ancheta, alias Jojo, 38, and George Cortez, 55, all residents of Lasam, Cagayan.

The five are facing a case specifically for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Den, Dive or Resort), Section 7 (Employee and Visitor of a Den, Dive or Resort), Section 8 (Manufacture of Dangerous Drugs and Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals, or CPECs) and Section 10 (Manufacture or Delivery of Equipment, Instrument, Apparatus and other Paraphernalia  for Dangerous Drugs and CPECs) in relation to Section 26 (Attempt or Conspiracy), Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The five were arrested on Feb. 26 when PDEA implemented two search warrants in Agatep’s rest house in Barangay Nicolas Agatep, Lasam, Cagayan and a clandestine laboratory, a warehouse allegedly owned by Agatep and maintained by Chua located in Barangay Newagac Gattaran, Cagayan.

Seized inside Agatep’s rest house were three cal. 9mm Luger KG9 with magazines containing a total of 31 pieces of live ammunition, one cal. 9mm Tanfoglio pistol with magazine loaded with 15 pieces of live ammunition, one seven-rounder revolver with seven pieces of live ammunition, three rifle grenades, and assorted M16, M14 and .45-cal. rifles with live ammunition. Also confiscated was one Mitsubishi Pajero with plate number WGV-707.

Meanwhile, 790 liters of liquid shabu placed inside six plastic containers, with an estimated street value of P1.9 billion, voluminous amount of CPECs, laboratory equipment and apparatus such as cauldrons, compressors, pumps and hydrogen tanks, among others, and waste materials, were confiscated inside the warehouse.