4 Sinos in shabu lab case moved to Baler provincial jail

BALER, Aurora — The four Chinese nationals who were arrested in connection with the August raid of a clandestine shabu laboratory in Dingalan town have finally been transferred to the provincial jail in this capital town.

Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66 Judge Armando Yanga told The STAR that the four Chinese — Sy Tho, Whang Tha Ti, Chin Na Chua and Chen Chien — are now detained at cells no. 7 and 8 of the provincial jail in Barangay Suklayin.

Yanga said the four were escorted by a six-man team of the National Bureau of Investigation last Thursday. With the four now languishing at the provincial jail, Yanga said he has no recourse but to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by the NBI seeking to retain custody of the four accused at the bureau’s central office in Taft Avenue, Manila, saying the issue has been rendered "moot and academic."

Yanga said that the jailhouse has been spruced up with the arrival of the four Chinese nationals. "It is now well-lit and there is police augmentation to heighten security. The NBI has conducted an ocular inspection of the jail site and they are satisfied with the security arrangements," he said.

He said that the only concern aired over the presence of the four Chinese was the height of the perimeter fence which was too low. Nevertheless, he said, jail authorities have assured the court that a contingency plan has been laid out. "Anyway, the provincial jail never has a history of a jail break," he added.

Amado de Luna, provincial jail warden, said that at least 30 jail guards are manning the provincial jail which hosts some 70 inmates, including detained Dingalan Mayor Jaime Ylarde.

The number of jail guards, however, still falls short of the ideal ratio of one jail guard for every two inmates.