DOJ pursuing local contacts of mega shabu lab operators

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Justice has started its move to expand the investigation that will identify the local counterparts of the foreigners convicted last month for operating a shabu laboratory in Mandaue City.

A team composed of personnel from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Office of Senator Vicente Sotto III came to Cebu yesterday and had a meeting at the residence of former Cebu City south district congressman Antonio Cuenco.

“Their objective is to trace and reveal who are the local contacts,” Cuenco said. 

Cuenco stressed that it is the project of the DOJ and he is just there to help. Cuenco was actively involved in the case eight years ago when he was the chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

Lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal, former vice chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said the alleged financier of the shabu laboratory operation, Calvin Tan, was found by Hong Kong authorities to have $1.4 million in several bank accounts.

He said they will coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Council to inform the Hong Kong government about the conviction of Tan and 11 others for operating the shabu laboratory.

Earlier, the Hong Kong government reportedly said it cannot hold and freeze forever the bank accounts of Tan unless there is a concrete case filed against him.

Sotto’s chief of staff, Mark Rosales, will be coordinating with AMLAC and set meetings here in Cebu or in Manila.

Oaminal said that Sotto is interested in the case. In fact, he said Sotto signed the invitation letter for yesterday’s conference.

Rosales said that he will be having meetings with PDEA and other agencies concerned on the retrieval of funds believed to be from drug sales.

In the process of doing so, Rosales said they might be able to come up with some revelation from the witnesses as planned in yesterday’s conference in Cebu.

“This will be the start of the move to be able to attain the objective of garnishing and making use of the fruit of the crime,” Rosales said.

He added that it is going to be some sort of precedent in future cases involving drugs. (FREEMAN)