It was not P6.8-B, but 11-B worth of missing shabu (methamphetamine) from the four magnetic lifters found in Cavite last August based on the estimate of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday.
PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino said the illegal drugs are now estimated to weigh 1.618 tons, higher than the initial estimates of one ton worth P6.8 billion during the press conference.
Aquino said they also conducted a weighing test on the magnetic lifters with the Department of Public Works and Highways and compared their weight with the one specified on bill of lading and there was a discrepancy of 1.6 tons between the earlier figure and the re-recorded weight, according to PDEA Chief.
He added, “So in my own estimate before that the amount was P6.8 billion is too small amount based on re-weighing we did.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives’ committee on dangerous drugs and committee on good governance conducted a legislative inquiry into the shabu shipment that the PDEA alleges slipped into the Philippines. There was also an effort done before in the Senate initiated by Senator Manny Pacquiao but with this latest development, many are asking if the Senate will also take a parallel inquiry to address the said issue.
Many observers said that it seems that the war on drugs of President Rodrigo Duterte failed if the data of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is accurate. In the past years before the President’s term, the amount of shabu being smuggled in the Philippines did not reach billions of pesos but just millions and they were all accounted for. However, with this recent development that the amount of shabu missing was almost double the amount of what was earlier declared.
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https://thephilbiznews.com/2018/09/24/doj-files-charges-against-fingerlings-mark-taguba-and-alleged-cohorts-in-p6-4-b-shabu/
