Operatives of the PNP- Anti-Illegal Drugs Group and
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested a military official and a
Chinese national and seized an estimated PHP320 million worth of
methamphetamine hydrocloride also known as ‘shabu’ during a anti-drug operation
in Manila early on Thursday morning.
PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group Legal and Investigation
Division chief Roque Merdeguia identified the suspects as Lt. Col. Ferdinand
Marcelino, a member of the Philippine Marines and a former official of the PDEA
Special Enforcement Services office and Yan Yi Shou, 33, a Chinese national,
who also worked for PDEA as an interpreter.
Merdeguia said the suspects were arrested around 12:30 a.m.
in a town house in Felix Huertas corner Batangas Streets, Sta. Cruz, Manila
Merdeguia said based on the search warrant, the house serves
as a storage area of illegal drugs but to their surprise, they discovered that
it was actually a shabu laboratory.
He said over 64 kilos of shabu amounting to PHP320 million,
other drug paraphernalia and three cellular phones allegedly used for illegal
transactions were seized in the operation.
Merdeguia said they were also surprised by Marcelino's
presence in the area since he never appeared in the intelligence radar of the
PNP and PDEA and he is also not in the “watch list” of persons involved in
illegal drugs operation.
Merdeguia said they will probe the activities of Marcelino
to identify his ties with the arrested Chinese national and other persons
involved in illegal drugs activities.
For his part, PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac said since
Marcelino is present in clandestine laboratory area during the operation, he is
now considered as a suspect.
Cacdac who rushed to the area, ordered the investigation
against Marcelino, who accompanied the Chinese national. However, Marcelino
denied involvement in the operation of the illegal drugs laboratory, explaining
that he was doing intelligence work in the area.
”I supposed they know each other because they arrived in the
area together. We need to charge him in court so that he can defend himself and
prove his innocence,” Cacdac said.
Marcelino is the head of the special enforcement service of
PDEA during the leadership of former PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago
from 2006 to 2011.
He led the arrest of one of the “top-level” drug peddlers,
the “Alabang Boys” in 2008.
However, he was dismissed from PDEA after his men revealed
that he is planting pieces of evidences to supposed drug suspects.
The suspects will be charged for violation of Cases for
violation of Section 8 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=849013
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