Nabbed Crime Lab officer positive for shabu use, confirmatory test shows

The confirmatory drug test on the police officer who was nabbed at a shabu session in Las  Piñas City last week has returned positive, the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory said on Wednesday.

"[Supt. Lito] Cabamongan showed positive result for shabu but negative for marijuana," PNPCL director Chief Supt. Aurelio Trampe said.

Cabamongan was arrested with a female companion during a shabu session in Las Piñas City on March 30.

Trampe said they have forwarded the result of the confirmatory test to the Las Piñas police and the Internal Affairs Service.

“We have submitted this to IAS for them to conduct the administrative summary dismissal procedure ‘yung result na positive.  Sa Las Piñas din kailangan nila yung positive result to support their charge na gumamit ng drugs si Cabamongan,” he said.

It was the first time that Cabamongan tested positive for illegal drug use, though PNPCL Chemistry Division head Supt. Victor Drapete said it was possible that they had simply not been able to detect Cabamongan's drug use earlier due to timing.

“Sa mga previous drug testing niya hindi namin siguro nata-timing-an na siya ay gumamit,” he said.

Drapete, however, dismissed the possibility that Cabamongan cheated on the drug test.

“Maingat naman kami dito na nagka-conduct ng drug testing. Binabantayan namin lahat ng aming personnel, even our director kung magpaunddergo siya ng drug test, we have to escort the person na hindi nadi-dilute, hindi na-adulterate ang urine. No-no na magkakaroon siya ng question o adulteration,” he said.

He said the presence of illegal substances can be detected in the body even after five to seven days.

He also said that it is not possible that Cabamongan would have been able to know in advance when a surprise drug test was going to be conducted.

“Kami ang nagka-conduct ng drug testing. Kaya sinasabing random is that yung requesting party iisa lang ang kausap nila, which is team leader. Pag dito sa headquarters, ako lang ang kausap nila. Even my men hindi nila alam kung saan kami lalakad, saan ang punta,” he said.

Drapete further said that there is no chance that Cabamongan could have pilfered from the illegal drugs submitted to them as evidence as they have a monthly inventory.

“The conduct of accounting of drug evidence sa mga satellite office and lower units namin sinasubmit namin ito sa PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency], all accounted naman, wala pa kaming nakita na misapplication,” he said.

“Kapag nakita ng judge na nagbago yung evidence magkakaroon  siya ng question,” he added.

Trampe earlier said that a neuro-psychiatric test run by the PNP General Hospital suggested that Cabamongan, chief of the Alabang Satelite Office Crime Laboratory Service, was suffering from psychosis due to substance abuse.

Cabamongan is the highest ranking police official arrested for illegal drugs. He has also been the subject of several complaints from his colleagues and the management of a mall.

A complete assessment on Cabamongan has also been conducted, but the results have not yet been released. —NB/BM, GMA News