Pasig police to undergo rank cleanup after shabu bust

The Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) on Tuesday pleaded before the office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief to ask for one week extension to finish the drug tests of more than 300 people who were nabbed last Friday in a “one-stop-shop" shabu restaurant located in a compound along F. Soriano Street, Pasig City. AIDSOTF director Marcelo Ele said they have asked the permission of PNP chief Director Arturo Lomibao to give them one week to finalize the results of the tests they were conducting. Ele said the result of the drug tests will come from the office of the PNP crime laboratory and will be subjected to evaluation. On Monday, 179 of the 285 persons taken with urine samples were tested positive for shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride use. A total of 319 persons had undergone drug tests after being apprehended last Friday in a compound called the “shabu talipapa" which is made up of 40 shanties and served as a one-stop shop shabu restaurant in Pasig City. Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia such as tooters, foil and assorted firearms were also confiscated during the raid. Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio immediately ordered the demolition of the shabu talipapa inside the compound after the raid. The 19-man police community unit assigned to precinct 20, the anti-narcotics units of the Pasig City police, and even the Eastern Police District (EPD) were relieved of their duty. On February 11, the police officials were also ordered to undergo drug tests at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame to verify if they were also using drugs. Meanwhile, authorities said on Tuesday that nobody resides in the compound of but drug paraphernalia still abound in the area.-GMANEWS.TV