Remains of La Union shabu laboratory's carpenter dug up

NAGUILIAN, La Union, Philippines – The skeletal remains of the carpenter-electrician of the shabu laboratory busted in Barangay Bimmotobot here last year were dug up yesterday near the site of the illegal facility.

Chief Superintendent Ramon Gatan, Ilocos regional police director and head of Task Force Bimmotobot, told The STAR that the carpenter, identified only as Ronnie, was killed by Dante Tomas Palaganas, the shabu lab’s caretaker, sometime in November 2007 on orders of Joselito Artuz, tagged as the financier of the illegal drug facility.

“During the course of the investigation, Palaganas confessed to us that he killed the carpenter and buried him in a hole below a mango tree,” Gatan said.

Gatan said Artuz allegedly ordered Palaganas to kill Ronnie because he knew too much about their illegal operations.

“Palaganas shot Ronnie with a caliber .45 given to him by (Superintendent Dionicio) Borromeo. The instruction to kill him was given by Artuz with the knowledge of Borromeo,” alleged a police officer who was privy to Palaganas’ confession.

Borromeo, former police chief of Dagupan City in Pangasinan, has been indicted as an alleged protector of the shabu lab.

After the shooting, Palaganas buried Ronnie in a hole about four feet deep several meters away from the shabu lab where lawmen found equipment and chemicals used in making the prohibited drug.

Also dug up at the site was a bag containing the carpenter’s clothes and electrical tools.

Judge Ferdinand Fe of the Bauang Regional Trial Court issued the search warrant for the recovery of Ronnie’s remains.

Chief Inspector Elizardo Daileg, medico-legal officer of the crime laboratory at Camp Florendo, said the carpenter had a gunshot wound in the left temple with the bullet exiting through the back of his head.

Aside from violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Gatan said murder charges will also be filed against Palaganas, Borromeo and Artuz for the carpenter’s killing.

Palaganas and Borromeo are both detained at the La Union provincial jail in San Fernando City, while Artuz is still the subject of a manhunt.