Lovely ‘shabu queen’ now looks ugly to drug lords

MANILA, Philippines - Lovely Adam Impal, the alleged supplier of shabu of drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, is no longer lovely in the eyes of drug traders, but she is getting lovelier in the eyes of the government, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday.

“Lovely is becoming ugly with her revelations. It’s slowly coming out. She’s becoming ugly for those drug lords, but getting lovely to us. Information that are coming out very valuable information. She is very cooperative,” he added.

Impal surrendered to Dela Rosa last Dec. 5.

Dela Rosa revealed that Impal is now undergoing investigation under the Anti-Illegal Drug Group (AIDG) headed by Senior Supt. Albert Ignatius Ferro.

Dela Rosa said Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police director Chief Supt. Agripino Javier presented Impal to him.

The PNP chief did not elaborate how and where the surrender was made.

Dela Rosa, however, could not yet give any information on the scope of the drug operations pending investigation by the AIDG.

According to the late mayor Roland Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte, Lovely had supposedly introduced his son Kerwin to another drug lord Peter Co because she failed to pay her P10-million debt to the alleged drug lord.

Kerwin reportedly then took over the illegal drug trade in Eastern Visayas.

An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency guards seized materials and paraphernalia used for manufacturing shabu at the Green Planet Management compound in Valenzuela City yesterday. BOY SANTOS

Earlier, Kerwin said it was Jeffrey Diaz, alias Jaguar, who introduced him to Impal when they met inside the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center in Lahug, Cebu City.

Impal is a native of Cagayan de Oro but she owns properties in Iligan City and Bukidnon province, said Kerwin.

While inside the jail, Kerwin said he would ask his men, including a village councilor, to sell the drugs that he got from Impal.

Ferro, for his part, said he could not yet divulge information about Impal.

“Security issues are being resolved so as not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation,” Ferro told The STAR.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officials yesterday destroyed an estimated P3.1 million worth of essential chemicals and laboratory equipment reportedly used for the manufacture of shabu in Valenzuela City.

The chemicals, which were ordered destroyed by the court, were disposed through chemical treatment and physical destruction at the Green Planet Management in Barangay Punturin.

Around 580 liters of liquid chemicals and 61,223 grams of solid chemicals, worth an estimated P811,757 and P106,922, respectively, were destroyed.

More than P2.2 million worth of laboratory equipment confiscated during various anti-narcotics operations were also physically destroyed.

PDEA director General Isidro Lapeña said the destruction ceremony is done to allay any misconception that both the drugs and chemicals are being recycled for other purposes.  – With Romina Cabrera