Lawmaker seeks House probe on ₱4.9-B drug haul in Pampanga

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 2) — Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio «Dong» Gonzales Jr. asked the House committee on dangerous drugs to investigate the confiscation of illegal drugs in his province of Pampanga, with a total estimated street value of ₱4.9 billion, and to determine the source.

«Mexico is my town. Dalawang beses na sa Mexico yan. Una sa Lakeshore, panagalawa ito. This is the biggest so kailangan nating malaman kung sino ang mga pribadong nagpapasok from international,» he said on Monday.

[Translation: Mexico is my town, it happened twice to Mexico already. First in Lakeshore, then this. This is the biggest so we need to know who lets them come in from abroad.]

«Ang tanong ko bakit Mexico ang gusto nilang puntahan at doon binababa ang masamang droga?» the lawaker added.

[Translation: My question — why choose Mexico to deliver drugs?]

Gonzales filed the still unnumbered resolution in light the Department of Justice's announcement on the confiscation of 530 kilograms of shabu (the local verison of methamphetamine hydrochloride), otherwise known as «poor man's cocaine,» in a warehouse in Mexico last week. The estimated value was ₱3.9 billion.

Last month, authorities also reportedly seized 200 kilograms of shabu inside an abandoned vehicle in Mabalacat town with a value of ₱1.3 billion.