Sun Valley tanods fear for their lives

After the successful raid of a shabu laboratory at a subdivision in Barangay Sun Valley, Parañaque City last Nov. 1, barangay officials and watchmen now fear for their lives.

Southern Police District (SPD) Director Jose Gutierrez Jr. also confirmed yesterday that arrested laboratory caretaker Xuzi Bin Ong is an illegal alien.

While there have been no direct threats to their lives, Sun Valley barangay captain Bert Guevara said that since the raid, he and his tanods have noticed even more suspicious activities in their area.

"The day after the raid, a man who did not identify himself insisted that our tanods check a vehicular accident on Edison Avenue corner West Service Road. The man called at least four times from 5 to 8 p.m.," Guevara said in a phone interview.

Guevara said his tanods referred the caller to the Traffic Management Group (TMG), but the man insisted that the tanods be the ones to respond to the accident. A check with the TMG later revealed that no accident occurred in the area, Guevara said.

The area is a few meters away from the entrance of Executive Heights Village where the shabu lab was discovered.

Guevara added that a black car without license plates has been conducting a surveillance of the barangay security outpost located on Sun Valley Drive. One of the passengers, a man, later asked questions about the tanods.

"We all fear for our lives because of these incidents," Guevara said. He also said two of his tanods have already sent their families to the provinces.

Gutierrez has already deployed members of the SWAT for their protection. Guevara was scheduled to meet last night with members and leaders of various sectoral groups in their barangay – from the urban poor to the church groups – to discuss "their course of action."

Meanwhile, Gutierrez said that the SPD has sought the help of the Bureau of Immigration in the investigation of Xuzi.

He also said the investigation will not be affected by the resignation of Senior Superintendent Evna Ruiz, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), who earlier interrogated the suspect.

Xuzi told Ruiz that he was from Fujian province in China and that he has a Filipina wife living in the southern part of the country.

Gutierrez added that the Monasterio family, including former basketball player Teddy Monasterio Jr., went to his office late yesterday afternoon to clear their name.