NBI now has suspect in missing shabu bags

The National Bureau of Investigation now has a suspect in the disappearance of 7.37 kilos of shabu from its evidence laboratory.

Though NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco declined to identify who their suspect is, he said the suspect is now being closely investigated.

"We now have a suspect and we are now building up the case. The administrative aspect of the case is already finished. We are now working on the criminal aspect," said Wycoco.

Last May 24, the chief of the NBI’s Forensic Chemistry Division (FCD) and two others assigned to the division were ordered relieved and charged administratively by Wycoco over the disappearance of the shabu bags in their custody.

Ordered relieved and charged with gross neglect of duty and misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman were Idabel Pagulayan, acting FCD chief; NBI-Dangerous Drugs Division section chief Constancia Salonga; and evidence custodian designate Lucia Gonzales.

According to Wycoco, the three were relieved of their responsibilities and were made to account for their negligence and administrative lapses.

"Alternately, the three have keys to the evidence room. At the moment, we’re finished with the administrative part of the investigation. We will still work on with the criminal aspect," said Wycoco.

Wycoco said that a polygragph test conducted on Pagulayan, Salonga and Gonzales showed that the three were not involved in the actual act of pilferage. Wycoco added that though Pagulayan, Salonga and Gonzales will no longer be assigned as evidence custodians at the FCD, they would still be retained at the bureau headquarters to render technical services as chemists.

Wycoco said those still under investigation for possible involvement in the pilferage are all members of the NBI’s Special Task Force which initially got hold of the drug haul and members of the NBI’s Technical Service.

In his report to Wycoco, NBI deputy director for intelligence services and head of the investigation committee Samuel Ong said that a re-weighing of the drug haul showed that only 7.37 kilos of shabu worth P14 million were missing from the total 247.58 kilos recovered by STF agents from a unit of the Somerset Mansions in Pasay City on Dec. 26, 2000.

The loss of the drugs was uncovered after Pasay City Regional Trial Court Judge Cesar Ylagan ordered the destruction of the illegal drugs which was part of about 250 kilos of shabu seized from a condominium unit registered to a certain Sandra Lim at the Somerset Mansions on Leveriza St., Pasay City, on Dec. 26, 2000. The drugs were deposited at the evidence room of the NBI dangerous drugs section, forensic chemistry division.

In his report to Ylagan’s sala, dated May 2, deputy sheriff Rodolfo Toledana said the drugs were supposed to be transported to the boiler incinerator of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, Muntinlupa City for destruction.

A report by Toledana dated by May 2, said the 8.67 kilos of shabu contained in five plastic bags were discovered missing during an inventory made by the sheriff of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court and by the Dangerous Drugs Board on April 18.

According to Wycoco, the probe of the missing shabu was temporarily hampered following a reshuffle that affected the NBI in the wake of the death of NBI Assistant Director Diego Gutierrez last month.

Wycoco said intelligence chief Samuel Ong, who headed the team tasked to investigate the case of the missing shabu, was reassigned as deputy director for regional operations.

Replacing Ong as deputy director for intelligence and probe team head is lawyer Anthony Leongson, who came from the highest post at the NBI’s Central Luzon regional office.

Lolito Utitco, whom Ong replaced as deputy for regional operations, is now deputy director for special investigation. Utitco replaced Fermin Nasol, who is now acting assistant secretary – the post left vacant by the late Gutierrez.