Four policemen and their cohort were arrested Friday by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a clandestine shabu laboratory at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales.
PDEA spokesperson Derrick Arnold Carreon identified the suspects as Police Lt. Reynato Basa Jr., Police Corporal Gino dela Cruz, Police Corporal Edesyr Victor Alipio, Police Corporal Godfrey Duclayan Parentela, and Jericho Dabu.
The raiding team seized 300 grams of shabu, five cellular phones, various laboratory equipment used in the manufacture of illegal drugs, four Glock 17 9mm with serial numbers PNP55624, PNP65664, PNP65993, and PNP12606; a Honda Civic VTI 1996 model with license plates UKM 779, and bundles of boodle money with one genuine P1,000 bill on top.
Carreon said that the operation was conducted on 336-B FineBack St. where the suspects were nabbed at around 1 a.m.
The suspects are now facing charges for violation of Sections 5, 8, and 11, Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 Republic Act 9165 (The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
PDEA investigators said the arrested police officers are believed to be the protectors of the clandestine shabu laboratory.