Subic drug haul opens old wounds for city councilor
OLONGAPO CITY – The seizure last week of more than 700 kilograms of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) inside the Subic Bay Freeport opened old wounds for Councilor John de los Reyes, whose 10-year-old sister was murdered by a drug addict here 26 years ago.
On Monday, De los Reyes, who belongs to the Gordon political clan and a member of the political party Ang Kapatiran, assailed officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, saying it was their responsibility to prevent drug smuggling inside the freeport.
“Judging from the quantity and the manner in which these contrabands were smuggled, these smugglers are well connected,” said De los Reyes.
“As a councilor of SBMA’s host city and as a victim of a crime involving my 10-year-old sister who was murdered by a man under the influence of illegal drugs, I demand accountability and prosecution of all those involved. Heads must roll this time,” he said.
Murder
De los Reyes’ sister, Maricris, was murdered inside the bedroom of their grandmother, former Mayor Amelia Gordon, on April 29, 1982, in the family’s ancestral home in Barangay West Bajac Bajac.
It is the same village where Anton Ang, the Chinese-Filipino businessman said to be behind the illegal drugs shipment in the Freeport last week, lived.
“[Maricris] was murdered by our houseboy [who was] under the influence of drugs. It was very spontaneous. He went inside the room of my grandma where my sister and her yaya (nanny) happened to be sleeping. He raped the yaya and killed her after. Then, he turned on my sister who witnessed what he did,” De los Reyes told the Inquirer.
“It is deplorable that these things happen with impunity,” he said.
“For the sake of our children, to respect the memory of my sister and those like her who were victimized by drug addicts, the government should have an uncompromising anti-illegal drugs agenda,” he said.
De los Reyes said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza must defend the honor of his office amid the discovery of illegal drugs in the freeport.
“If he can’t, then delicadeza knocks loudly on his door,” said De los Reyes.
Arreza, in an earlier interview, said he was concerned that international drug syndicates have started using the Subic freeport as a “consolidation point” for shabu.
He, however, said he did not believe the entire shipment was meant for the Philippine underground market alone.
Isolated case
“Some, if not most of this shipment, we suspect, will be taken out of the country. [The shipment] would have been immediately taken out of the freeport entirely if the smugglers did not intend to bring it somewhere else,” Arreza said.
When asked if Ang was a familiar presence in the freeport, Arreza said: “I don’t know. I don’t know him. I have never met him.”
Arreza, in a statement, said the seizure was an “isolated case.” By Robert Gonzaga - Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau
On Monday, De los Reyes, who belongs to the Gordon political clan and a member of the political party Ang Kapatiran, assailed officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, saying it was their responsibility to prevent drug smuggling inside the freeport.
“Judging from the quantity and the manner in which these contrabands were smuggled, these smugglers are well connected,” said De los Reyes.
“As a councilor of SBMA’s host city and as a victim of a crime involving my 10-year-old sister who was murdered by a man under the influence of illegal drugs, I demand accountability and prosecution of all those involved. Heads must roll this time,” he said.
Murder
De los Reyes’ sister, Maricris, was murdered inside the bedroom of their grandmother, former Mayor Amelia Gordon, on April 29, 1982, in the family’s ancestral home in Barangay West Bajac Bajac.
It is the same village where Anton Ang, the Chinese-Filipino businessman said to be behind the illegal drugs shipment in the Freeport last week, lived.
“[Maricris] was murdered by our houseboy [who was] under the influence of drugs. It was very spontaneous. He went inside the room of my grandma where my sister and her yaya (nanny) happened to be sleeping. He raped the yaya and killed her after. Then, he turned on my sister who witnessed what he did,” De los Reyes told the Inquirer.
“It is deplorable that these things happen with impunity,” he said.
“For the sake of our children, to respect the memory of my sister and those like her who were victimized by drug addicts, the government should have an uncompromising anti-illegal drugs agenda,” he said.
De los Reyes said SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza must defend the honor of his office amid the discovery of illegal drugs in the freeport.
“If he can’t, then delicadeza knocks loudly on his door,” said De los Reyes.
Arreza, in an earlier interview, said he was concerned that international drug syndicates have started using the Subic freeport as a “consolidation point” for shabu.
He, however, said he did not believe the entire shipment was meant for the Philippine underground market alone.
Isolated case
“Some, if not most of this shipment, we suspect, will be taken out of the country. [The shipment] would have been immediately taken out of the freeport entirely if the smugglers did not intend to bring it somewhere else,” Arreza said.
When asked if Ang was a familiar presence in the freeport, Arreza said: “I don’t know. I don’t know him. I have never met him.”
Arreza, in a statement, said the seizure was an “isolated case.” By Robert Gonzaga - Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau
Labels: Armand C. Arreza, councilors, delos reyes drugs, gordon, olongapo, pdea, sbma, shabu, subic
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