RTC resumes Shabu 11 trial

The trial of the so-called Shabu 11 case resumes today at the Regional Trial Court-branch 28 with the prosecution's latest witness Morteza Tamadoni up for cross-examination by the defense panel.

Tamadoni, in his earlier testimony, pinpointed Calvin De Jesus Tan as the alleged mastermind in the operation of the mega shabu laboratory in barangay Umapad, Mandaue City that authorities had busted on September 24, 2004.

Tamadoni told the court, in last year's direct examination, that Simon Lao, a British national known as Hung Ching Chang and one of the 11 accused, hired him to look for a warehouse in Cebu for a plastics business, which turned out however as the shabu laboratory.

Tamadoni further alleged that Lao brought him to Macau to met with the business' big boss who he later knew and identified as Tan.

Tan's lawyer William delos Santos said he would cross-examine Tamadoni to determine the veracity of the allegations, adding that the witness was nothing but a paid one out to pin down Tan.

In last December 9 hearing, delos Santos asked RTC Judge Marilyn Yap to decide on his petition for bail of his client Tan.

But Judge Yap responded that the ruling would come when the prosecution started presenting its witnesses against Tan.

Aside from Tamadoni, the prosecution is set also to present Lao as its witness to corroborate the Tamadoni's testimonies.

The shabu laboratory in Mandaue City was deemed as the biggest found so far in Southeast Asia. At the time it was raided, authorities seized a total of 675 kilos of shabu, worth P1.5 billion, precursor and other chemicals for the manufacture of the banned substance. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan