Lapeña claims magnetic lifters in Cavite tested negative for shabu

Contrary to the report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña on Tuesday claimed that the four magnetic lifters in Cavite said to have contained P6.8 billion worth of shabu tested negative for illegal drugs.

Lapeña made the remark during the motu proprio inquiry of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs into the supposed smuggling of 1,000 kilograms of shabu into the country.

The PDEA said the P6.8 billion worth of shabu was unloaded from four lifting equipment at a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

Lapeña, however, said that the Bureau of Customs, personnel from the Philippine National Police and PDEA itself processed the crime scene and the magnetic lifters.

The aluminum foils in the area were likewise swabbed for possible presence of shabu, Lapeña said, "but this yielded negative result for the presence of dangerous drugs."

Because of this, Lapeña said the allegation that one ton of shabu is circulating in the market "has no basis."

"Based on the result of the laboratory analysis both from PDEA and the PNP, the four magnetic lifters have no presence of dangerous drugs," he added.

Lawyer Ruel Lasala of the PDEA, however, stood by its report and insisted that the four magnetic lifters had traces of illegal drugs.

He explained that their K9 dogs sat down as they sniffed the lifting equipment, signifying that the dogs had identified traces of illegal drugs.

Aside from this, Lasala said that the address of the consignee for the shipment found in Cavite was the same as that of the consignee for the nearly 500 kilograms, or P4.3 billion worth, of shabu that the BOC intercepted at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) days earlier.

"All indicators point to the situation na droga 'yung laman ng metallic lifters," he said.

Director Adrian Albarino of PDEA also said that the shabu intercepted at MICP and the one supposedly contained in containers in Cavite were linked to one another as they have their bill of lading, a document which details the type, quantity and destination of the goods being carried.

"It was indicated doon sa Vecaba Trading [International] yung warehouse, yung address ng consignee nila as the same, doon sa GMA, Cavite," he said.

It was to Vecaba Trading International that the P4.3-billion worth of shabu that the BOC had intercepted was consigned.

House panel chair Robert Ace Barbers asked PDEA how they estimated the value of the 1,000 kilograms of shabu said to have been contained in the magnetic lifters in Cavite.

PDEA National Capital Region director Ismael Fajardo Jr. said it was based on the "standard Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB)" value which is P6.8 million per kilogram.

But DDB Undersecretary Benjamin Reyes said they do not provide estimates on the value of shabu.

Lapeña stressed the need to provide correct information to the public as regards incidents as this.

"As government authorities, we have to be prudent in providing unverified information to the general public to allay further fear or confusion," he said.

The House panel is conducting a motu proprio investigation into the P6.8-billion shabu smuggling incident.

It earlier said PDEA director general Aaron Aquino will be compelled to attend the subsequent hearings regarding the matter.

The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission will also hold a parallel investigation into the supposed conspiracy between Bureau of Customs officials and notorious smugglers which resulted in the smuggling of illegal drugs. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News