“It is impossible that the PNP did not know.”
This was the curt remark of Garchitorena Mayor Solon Demetriou on the shabu laboratory at the island sitio of Badi, barangay Binagasbasan in Garchitorena which was raided on July 7 by a team from the PNP regional command in Legazpi City.
The remark was interpreted to mean that some members of the Garchitorena PNP were in cahoots with the drug syndicate believed to be led by Taiwanese nationals.
The raiding team dug up at the site shabu ingredients and paraphernalia estimated to be worth more than Php 100 million but failed to apprehend any member of the drug syndicate. The suspected shabu laboratory building was already dilapidated, presumably destroyed by the last typhoons, and deserted but surprisingly still housed the multi-million peso worth of shabu ingredients.
Mayor Demetriou who was at the wake of former Garchitorena Mayor Edmundo Simando Thursday evening, August 16, along with some 50 Garchitorena municipal and barangay officials was also accompanied by present Garchitorena PNP station commander, P/Insp. Elmer Mora.
Simando who was mayor of Garchitorena from July 1998 to June, 2007 died Sunday August 12 at St. Luke Hospital in Quezon City after a brief illness and was buried Sunday, August 19 at the Sto. Niño Memorial Park.
Mora said that when he was assigned to the town in October last year he immediately conducted an inspection at the site but saw no traces of illegal activity as the suspected shabu laboratory building itself appeared to be already dilapidated and abandoned.
Mora, however, said he is collaborating with the on-going investigation to identify and bring into the fold of the law all those suspected to be part of the multi-million drug ring that may have supplied shabu not only to Bicol drug users and addicts but also to other parts of the country.
Mayor Demetriou said he has lately been informed that the previous town police chief was frequently seen at barangay Binagasbasan and even stayed overnight at the barangay before proceeding to Naga City and his hometown.
Meanwhile, Mayor Demetriou said that the islet of Badi used to be owned by one Ruben Huit who has migrated to Alaska. Foreclosed by a bank, the islet has reportedly been bought back in an auction by relatives of Huit in adjoining Caramoan town.
Huit is an uncle of Caramoan Mayor Constantino Huit Cordial, Jr. But it is not yet clear at presstime whether Badi islet is now owned by Mayor Cordial.
The possible participation of relatives of Huit in the operation of the drug ring is being intensely looked into by PNP and NBI investigators, sources reaching PENINSULA MONITOR said.
