EPD goes after Boratong coddlers

MANILA, Philippines - The Eastern Police District is going after politicians and police officials who are coddling the family of convicted shabu flea market operator Amin Imam Boratong, who allegedly continues to run his business despite being in prison, EPD director Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said yesterday.

“The shabu tiangge financier is in jail but his relatives are behind the proliferation of shabu in Pasig City and its nearby areas,” he said.

When asked who could be protecting the Boratong family’s drug business, Sapitula said their “investigation is proceeding in that direction.”

Early this week, Sapitula claimed that Boratong’s brother, Ama, and nephews Aleman alias Boy Negro; Acsaimen Amer; Joey Mammon alias Jeremiah and a certain MacMac as behind the proliferation of shabu in Pasig, Taytay in Rizal and Taguig.

Sapitula has coordinated with Chief Superintendent Agripino Javier, director of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, for the arrest of the Boratong family, who went into hiding in Mindanao after President Duterte ordered an all-out war against illegal drugs since July 1.

Boratong and his second wife, Sheryl Molera, were meted life imprisonment for operating the shabu tiangge at Mapayapa Compound in Barangay Sto. Tomas, which was raided by government agents in 2006.

The raiders confiscated a large volume of shabu and assorted high-powered firearms and drug paraphernalia.

Boratong is one of 19 high-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound.

Though Special Action Force police officers have prevented mobile phones from reaching Boratong and his fellow high-profile inmates, the shabu tiangge financier managed to relay his messages to his brother, Ama, Sapitula said.

He added that in Pasig City alone, the Boratong family was tagged as behind the distribution of shabu in eight of the city’s barangays: Pinagbuhatan, Rosario, Manggahan, San Miguel, Bambang, San Joaquin, Caniogan, and Sto, Tomas.

According to Sapitula, Boratong’s group is reportedly behind the murders of his former cohorts Rogelio Corpuz, Fernando Alfonso, Jeffrey Jocson and Jester Santos.

The EPD director cleared Boratong’s first wife, Mimi, claiming she was monitored tending to the family business in Greenhills and she rarely left their residence.