Duterte: Turn 'mega shabu lab' into drug rehab center

MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte wants an abandoned drug laboratory in Arayat, Pampanga sequestered and turned into a drug rehabilitation center.

 

Duterte, who inspected the facility on Tuesday, said walls could be added and the foundation strenghened to the proposed rehabilitation center. He said the government can also add another floor to the building.

 

"I will find the money, I will find the money, sigurado yan. I'm gonna have about P25 million to P50 million. It's going to be a beautiful rehab center for the country," Duterte said.

 

The laboratory, which authorities said was disguised as a piggery and corn-crusher facility, was discovered last Friday by local government inspectors conducting routine safety and sanitation checks.

 

Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, acting regional police director for Central Luzon, said the two Chinese nationals tagged as the lab's operators are named Anthony Reyes Cua and Jacky Lee Shi based on documents left behind at the lab.

 

Duterte said the laboratory is owned by a certain "Sandy Chua", who bought the facility from its original owner.

 

"Chua could never get it back again, I can assure you," Duterte added.

 

Duterte said that according to experts from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and to PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, the laboratory could have produced 400 kilos of shabu a day.

 

"Pasalamat na lang ako at hindi nagamit," Duterte, who earlier noted that the machines in the facility were not connected to each other, said.