Herbert extends rehabilitation help to Niño Muhlach

Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista on Wednesday said the city government could offer rehabilitation services for his friend, Niño Muhlach, if the actor is indeed a “shabu" (methamphetamine hydrochloride) user. “Assuming that he is really a shabu user, what I can offer to him is the services of rehabilitation. He can ask the court for a voluntary rehabilitation, if in case, he is a first time shabu user," said Bautista, chairman of the city’s Anti-Drug Abuse Council. The 35-year-old Muhlach, who rose to popularity during the 1970s as a child star, was earlier arrested by antidrug police operatives for alleged possession of shabu inside a shopping mall in Libis, Quezon City. He was charged with possession of illegal drugs at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office. But Bautista said that if investigators find that Muhlach is not a first time shabu user, the court may not allow the actor to go on voluntary rehabilitation. “Pero kung (But if ) it was his second or third time na mahuli siya (that he was found) as drug user, I don’t think the court would grant the voluntary rehabilitation, dahil matatawag na (because he will be called) recidivist na siya (already)." Bautista said that he was shocked over the arrest of Muhlach. “I felt bad about it. Pero talagang mayroon talagang dumadaan sa ganyang crisis (But there are really people who are bound to experience such crisis)." He added: “Niño is a very healthy person and I could not believe na mayroon siyang ganyang bisyo (that he has that kind of vice). However, this is a lesson to everybody that using illegal drugs is not good." -GMANews.TV