PDEA probes source of lab chemicals

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Anselmo Avenido has ordered his men to look into the source of the chemicals seized by police in a raid of a shabu laboratory in Parañaque City last Nov. 1.

"There were several controlled chemicals in the house. We are trying to determine how they were diverted for the manufacture of illegal drugs," Avenido said. "The chemicals are not really illegal but they are the ingredients for shabu. We want to know if they were smuggled into the country or passed through regular ports of entry."

Meanwhile, Southern Police District (SPD) chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez Jr., said the family of former basketball player Teddy Monasterio Jr. should explain how a drug syndicate ended up renting their house in Parañaque City to set up a shabu laboratory.

"We still need their statement in order to clarify some issues," Gutierrez said in a phone interview.

The SPD chief said a statement would establish the "trail" of the drug syndicate, who rented the house located on 19929 Hemlock Street, Executive Heights Subdivision, Barangay Sun Valley.

Gutierrez said Monasterio’s parents, Teddy Sr. and Cora, spoke to him after the raid on the laboratory. However, he said the meeting cannot be considered part of the investigation because the couple could not decide whether they would subject themselves and their son to police questioning or merely submit an affidavit.

"But I would prefer if they agree to a ‘question and answer’ instead of just submitting an affidavit. An affidavit would be fine but that might leave questions unanswered," Gutierrez said.

In a related development, Gutierrez said he would look into the possibility that policemen were involved in protecting the shabu laboratory as well as drug dealing in the area.

However, he dismissed the reports of the involvement of both active and discharged policemen as mere "speculation."

"I will look into this, but it would be unfair to immediately link police into this," he said. "Parang binasura lang natin yung trinabaho natin."– Christina Mendez, Nikko Dizon