‘Shabu,’ guns found in supposedly drug-free village

ARMS CACHE Assorted firearms and various types of ammunition are found during a raid on a house in Barangay Bel-Air. —NCRPO PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Unlicensed firearms and illegal drugs, including “shabu” (crystal meth), have been found by police inside a house in one of Makati City’s upscale villages that were declared “drug cleared” only last year.

Based on a tip, members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Regional Special Operations Unit raided the house of Victor Caluag, 52, on Solar Street in Barangay Bel-Air around 4 a.m. on Saturday.

They found a rifle, seven handguns and assorted ammunition. They also seized drug paraphernalia, three sachets of shabu and two bottles of Ketarol liquid or ketamine hydrochloride, a prescription drug used as an anesthetic. The latter, however, could also be used as a recreational drug because of its hallucinogenic properties.

The police said Caluag, who was not at home, would be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Based on a tip

According to the NCRPO, the operation was conducted after an informant said Caluag was “fond of collecting firearms and [was] in possession of different [kinds] of guns.”

A check with the Philippine National Police’s Firearms and Explosives Office confirmed that his firearm licenses expired several years ago.

In December 2018, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency declared Bel-Air a drug-cleared barangay, making it one of several exclusive villages in Makati to be pronounced free of drugs. The others were Forbes Park, Urdaneta, Dasmariñas, San Lorenzo and Magallanes.

The barangays of Santa Cruz, Southside Proper and Pinagkaisahan were also deemed clear of drugs in February.

Police records, however, showed that several drug suspects were arrested in Santa Cruz and Southside shortly afterward, leading to a review and the possible revocation of the two areas’ drug-free declaration.

According to the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3, series of 2017, for a barangay to be considered cleared of drugs, there should be no drug dens or laboratories, as well as zero drug users, pushers, dependents, protectors and financiers during a yearlong monitoring.

The village should also have an active intelligence network and a barangay antidrug abuse council.