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[av_heading heading=’Oops! CIDG got ‘tawas’, not shabu – police lab ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – The white crystalline substance seized from inmates of the Iloilo District Jail (IDJ) in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo was tawas, not shabu.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) announced yesterday the result of its crime laboratory’s analysis of the confiscated substance.
The tawas (alum) was mistaken for shabu and confiscated by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 6 that raided the IDJ cells on Nov. 11.
Tawas is a salt crystal more popularly used as a deodorant and astringent. There are other uses for this substance that found its niche in folkloric medicine.
The crime laboratory’s analysis result was certified by Dr. Owen Lebaquin of the PRO-6.
After the “surprise” raid, one of the IDJ inmates claimed what the CIDG believed to be shabu in three small sachets was actually tawas.
CIDG-6 director Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba played down the embarrassing laboratory analysis result.
“We brought the item to the PRO-6 crime laboratory to make sure what it was,” said Tayaba.
The CIDC raid verified that no shabu was being smuggled into the IDJ, he added.
Other items seized were a knife, a pair of scissors, a cellular phone and charger, SIM cards, lighters, a hammer, nail pushers, and power banks.
Tayaba said the tawas proved no shabu was being smuggled into the IDJ.
In a previous interview, Jail Senior Inspector Abner Zamora, IDJ warden, said he will base his next moves on the result of the crime laboratory’s analysis.
If these were shabu, IDJ would nvestigate how the sachets were slipped into the prison facility, said Zamora.
As for the cell phone and charger, Zamora said there is an ongoing investigation how these entered the jail.
“Hugot ang inspection sa gate pa lang. Hibaluon naton kun diin nag agi,” said Zamora./PN
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