Some personalities will be invited by the Philippine National Police (PNP) this week regarding the discovery a month ago of three sachets of shabu at the ante room of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall at the old Capitol building, this city.

PNP Prov’l Director Dennis Agustin said the on going investigation is tasked with the city PNP which earlier handled the bringing of the shabu to the PNP crime laboratory for verification.

Agustin received marching orders from Gov. Edgar Chatto to expedite the investigation in order to end the puzzle on how come the shabu reached the Captiol office.

The sachets were found at the ante room last July 15, the day before a special session of the provincial SP was to be conducted.

Virginia Tunan, the janitor who saw the sachets revealed that a daughter of a Captiol liason officer was inside the ante room when she found the sachets.  Ms. Jesa, a third year student of the Bohol Institute of Technology (BIT) was the first to comment that the contents of the plastic was shabu.  Joseph Yapak, a Capitol security guard was present during the discovery.

Gov. Chatto wanted the probe to be conducted faster . Aside from the police, , Gov. Chatto likewise  organized a fact finding team at the Prov’l Legal Officer under lawyer Boloy Boiser.

The governor said that if only to support the campaign against drugs, the provincial government recently opened the Prov’l Health Drug Testing Center.

SHABU PLANTED?

Some provincial board members are suspicious of critics who must have access to illegal drugs, a small quantity of which was believed to be “planted” outside the session hall of the Sangguiniang Panlalwigan  to destroy Capitol’s image as election draws near.

Board Member Gerardo Garcia of the Second District believed that the less than a gram of shabu found outside the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Session Hall could turn out to be a malicious, politically-loaded substance.

He minced no words in blaming dirty politics for the issue being feasted upon  by the detractors apparently to put into  bad light the Chatto administration of the province and SP leadership of Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim.

The addictive crystalline powder inside three tiny plastic sachets were found by a female utility worker on the floor under a sofa in a public waiting area outside the session hall while she was sweeping, a daily routine, in the afternoon of July 15 about a month ago..

“Gituyo gyud na’g butang ang shabu (The shabu was intentionally placed),” Board Member Elpidio Jala of the Third District also told the media in a statement sharing the belief of Garcia and other fellow SP members.

The vice governor had the “items” handed over to the city police for crime laboratory examination and analysis at Camp Dagohoy as soon as they were found in the same afternoon. about the incident and the action she had taken..

Despite his knowledge of the incident and the action taken as reported to them by the vice governor, opposition Board Member Dionisio Balite suddenly inquired on the incident in a privilege speech during the August 7 SP session covered by some media men.

Officials and employees who doubted the intention of Balite described his act as a “grandstanding for hero image,” if not “preempting” a planned surprise drug testing for capitol workers which is a part of Capitol’s anti-drug advocacy.

The negative insinuations from Balite, who is reported to be running against the vice governor in the 2016 election, provided the Capitol detractors a “bullet to shoot” the leadership of Lim in tandem with the governor.

Whether Balite’s speech was a “tip” or not to any drug-using government worker of an impending un- announced drug test, Board Member Godofreda Tirol supported the governor’s program to preserve the public trust from any drug threat.

In the session last Friday, Tirol even proposed a measure for all provincial officials, including the elective, and employees to undergo regular drug tests.

Instead of keeping the concern ignored, Chatto created the drug testing center at the Provincial Health Office (PHO) while, in a strict policy, directed the Bohol police under Provincial Director Dennis Agustin to continue the intensified  anti-drug operations “without fear or favor.”

TERRIBLY WRONG

Garcia told the media that whoever might have planned the incident must be terribly wrong in shabu planting, which appears to be a  weak  theory   as of yet.

Because while it fails to discredit the efforts and reputation of the incumbent Capitol leadership, Bohol’s treasured image as a tourism and investment destination is put at stake, said the provincial lawmaker who also has a business base in Manila.

Garcia said he already instantly expected the shabu finding to escalate as an issue against the province amidst reports of a grand demolition job tapping even the national and regional media this nearing election season.

“I don’t believe nga motoo ang mga tawo nga ingon na gyud niini kadautan si Gov. Chatto ug Vice Gov. Lim.  Wa ko mosipsip ha, pero ang ako lang nga mamansahan ang performance ni Gov. Chatto.  Dili man si Edgar ang madaut ani kundi ang image sa Bohol,” the legislator said.

 

VICE GOV. LIM’S

ACTIONS RIGHT

Others in the SP agreed that Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim was right in immediately submitting  the shabu find on July 15 to the police for laboratory test and further investigation, as well as in reporting to the board members, including Balite, the incident the next day.

There was no intention to hide it from public as she had it known to the SP members and would have it divulged to the public at the  proper time—once the police probe should have already identified the suspect who, if the shabu was not planted, could also  be a drug-dealing or -using Capitol insider or outsider.

Besides, a lightning drug tests on SP and other capitol workers has been programmed by the government.

But in the August 7 session, Balite, as if he had not been previously told by the presiding officer Lim, even asked in his privilege speech if the drug items were handed over to the police.

He further demanded to know  if the items were not submitted for laboratory test.

Balite’s insinuations shocked many because while he already knew that the items had long been entrusted to the police, Camp Dagohoy also already had a test result finding the substance to be shabu right on July 15 or over three weeks before his privilege speech.

And since he planned a privilege speech on the incident, he could have beforehand checked with Camp Dagohoy, which is a call away, about the laboratory result, said fellows in the SP who requested anonymity.

Some board members also noted that Balite took a swipe at  the Capitol leadership using the shabu issue two days after his moneyed  perceived ally, former Carmen Mayor Cheche delos Reyes, was seen  locking her arm prominently  around Liberal Party presidential bet and DILG Sec. Mar Roxas.

Chatto and Lim are party mates of Roxas and  are considered LP pillars in Bohol.

FULL-BLOWN PROBE

Investigation  from day one now gets to be  full-blown as ordered by the governor with Agustin and Provincial Legal Officer John Mitchel Boiser in close coordination.

The premise that the shabu, which only weighs .34 gram or less than one gram, was planted for propaganda against Capitol has been bolstered obviously because of some other hanging questions.

One, the entire bottom of the sofa, from beneath it the shabu sachets were found, almost totally reaches the floor so that the packs could not have easily gone right under the seat should they been  accidentally dropped  from the pocket of carrier.

Two, the carrier would have returned to the place to find the items as soon as he/she detected them to be missing from his/her possession.

Third, if the items were delivered and hidden under the heavy sofa from where the user would pick them up, the pusher would have instantly texted the buyer to get them quickly.

But the shabu packs remained under the sofa until a female utility worker found them while she was sweeping in her afternoon routine.

Capitol authorities vowed not to  not stop “hunting” the shabu “ghost” no matter whose heads may roll pursuant to the governor’s order.

Coincidentally, August 14 or last Friday signaled the start of the “ghost month” until September 12 according to the Chinese lunar calendar for 2015. (with reports from Ven rebo Arigo)