'Fear, apathy help drug trade flourish in Pasig'

MANILA, Philippines - Following Friday’s raid on houses allegedly owned by a suspected drug den operator in Pasig City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said yesterday the residents’ fear and apathy make it a “territorial challenge” for any law enforcement agency to eradicate the illegal drug trade in the area.

The PDEA seized 200 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu from a house known to residents of Barangay Sto. Tomas as the “Malacañang House” allegedly owned by Amin Imam Boratong, who faces maintenance of a drug den charges in connection with a 2006 raid on a drug den nearby. The agency also raided two other houses.

“People know each other in a very small area like that,” PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon said. “To a certain extent, he (Boratong) may be enjoying the support of some of his neighbors.”

The house is behind the Pasig City Hall and is a “jump” away from a mosque, according to Carreon. PDEA agents found in the house a certificate of attendance bearing Boratong’s name and picture and deposit slips amounting to P250,000 under the account of Boratong’s alleged 17-year-old daughter.

The STAR tried but failed to get a comment from Pasig Mayor Roberto Eusebio and his public information officer.

He said there could be others in the area working for Boratong and benefiting from his alleged illegal activities.

“But we should also go back to the apathy of the community,” Carreon said.

He said many of those in the community around the Malacañang House are not cooperating with law enforcers simply because they are not adversely affected – directly – by the proliferation of drugs in the area.

Carreon also said the residents may be simply afraid of Boratong, who could be maintaining people to get back at those who would pin him down in his alleged drug activities.

According to Carreon, drug activities in the area may not be finished with the recent raid on the houses there. He said the PDEA will stage follow-up raids in the future, targeting other areas where they suspect Boratong is operating.

“They can be assured we’ll be back,” Carreon said.

As for Boratong himself, the agency is calling on law enforcers to closely monitor all his moves to prevent him from operating his alleged drug ring by remote control.

Boratong and his second wife, Sheryl Molera, are currently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation.

“He (Boratong) may be in detention but definitely he has his lieutenants doing his work for him,” Carreon told The STAR.

“It would be a good move for us to make representation with our counterparts to ensure that his moves are always controlled, to put a closer watch on him,” he added. – With Rainier Allan Ronda