Shabu prices cheaper now? PNP Chief Albayalde refutes PDEA

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde yesterday refuted the claim of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that prices of shabu went down after four magnetic lifters believed to contain about a ton of the illegal drug slipped past port authorities and the contraband found its way into the streets.

Albayalde said they have yet to receive proof that drug dealers are selling shabu at cheaper prices due to abundant supply in the market.

Earlier, PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said shabu was being sold in Metro Manila at only P1,600 to P2,000 per gram, way below its normal street value of P6,800 per gram.

He said prices remained high in other parts of the country.

But Albayalde said they have not seen a change in drug prices based on their monitoring and operations against street level pushers, especially in Metro Manila.

“We don't see any difference. Wala kaming nakukuhang information na bumaba ang presyo ng illegal drugs,” the PNP chief told reporters. “We cannot connect on what they are saying. Let them substantiate their statement.”       

Albayalde refused to say if the empty magnetic lifters recovered at a warehouse  in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite on Aug. 9 contained at least a ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion.

Aquino claimed that the drug shipment slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“Ayaw naming pumasok kung meron mang misunderstandings between the PDEA and BOC,” Albayalde said.

Instead of blaming others, Albayalde said they would focus their efforts on the anti-drug campaign.

“We will work double time to recover the drugs kung merong mang nakalusot,” he said.

Aquino welcomed the statement of lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, BOC deputy collector for passenger service at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, who supported his claim that the magnetic lifters found in Cavite contained shabu.

 “It’s good that we found an ally in her. She explained that the magnetic lifters contained shabu based on the results of the x-ray machines,” Aquino said in a radio interview.

The PDEA chief has criticized Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña for his supposed failure in managing the bureau.

Aquino stood by his findings that the shabu found at the Manila International Container Port in August and the drugs they seized in anti-narcotics operations were connected.

He said they did not intend to discredit other law enforcement agencies, but only to support their claim that there is an oversupply of shabu in the market.