War in Pasig: Eusebio, Dodot exchange raps

The battle in Pasig continues to escalate as Mayor Vicente Eusebio and Rep. Robert "Dodot" Jaworski exchanged accusations and initiated the filing of complaints in connection with the shabu market raid in Sitio Mapayapa.

In an interview, Eusebio said he has ordered his lawyer to file a libel suit against the congressman for allegedly maligning him in several interviews he granted to the media.

"Dada siya ng dada, wala naman siyang ginagawa dito," the mayor said. "Hindi ko pa isasampa ang kaso na libel kay Rep. Jaworski ngayon kasi inutusan ko ang aking abogado na palakasin ang kaso para tiyak ang conviction niya."

Meanwhile, graft and administrative charges were filed against Eusebio at the Office of the Ombudsman for the proliferation of the shabu market in his turf.

The case was filed by Jaworski, who held the local chief executive responsible for the drug den, which thrived for the last three years until the Feb. 10 raid.

In a seven-page complaint-affidavit, the lawmaker also asked Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to impose a six-month preventive suspension, without pay, on the mayor so that evidence would not be tampered with and potential witnesses would not be harassed.

Jaworski likewise questioned the Feb. 15 demolition of the shanties in Mapayapa, which "destroyed the pieces of evidence investigators have been trying to preserve."

"While it is true that the existence of the drug den posed imminent danger to the health and safety of the community, the same is not a blanket authority to demolish the shanties," he said.

When informed that Eusebio was planning to file libel charges against him, Jaworski said "it was his right."

The congressman denied he was using the drug den issue to gain media mileage preparatory to his running against Eusebio in the next elections.

"I don’t have any plans to run for mayor of the city. Ang akin ay lumabas lamang ang katotohanan," Jaworski said.

Senate to begin probe

The Senate committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs will start today the inquiry on the police raid on the shabu "tiangge" in Pasig City.

The public hearing will be conducted by the committee jointly with the Senate Blue Ribbon committee following a Senate resolution separately filed by Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Bong Revilla.

Sen. Manuel Villar, committee on public order and illegal drugs, said the inquiry will focus not only on the Pasig raid, but also on the rampant and continuous proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.

The use of illegal drugs and drug abuse remain to be a clear and present danger in the society that spawn problems on criminality, he pointed out.

"More often than not, criminals are also hooked on drugs. Thus, these two menaces of society come hand in hand," Villar said.

Santiago, in Senate Resolution 442, directed the committee on public order to conduct an inquiry of certain public officials for the operation of the drug compound.

Revilla’s Resolution 446 directed the committee to investigate "the seemingly uncontrolled proliferation of illegal drugs in the country."

Invited to appear in today’s hearing are Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao, National Capital Region Police chief Director Vidal Querol, PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force head Chief Superintendent Marcelo Ele Jr., Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Anselmo Avenido, Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio, Barangay Sto. Tomas chairman Jesus Viray, former Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, former Pasig City police chief Senior Superintendent Raul Medina and other police officers involved in the operation. – With Christina Mendez