How to remove traces of shabu

Elson Elizaga .

WHAT do we know so far? Four magnetic lifters allegedly contained P6.8 billion worth of meth (shabu), but this illegal drug is missing, and the only beings who knew of their existence were K9 dogs – and the director general of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Something is odd here, and this early, I have come to a hypothesis: Probably, somebody ordered a literal whitewash of the alleged missing shipment.

Consider:

1) We don’t have a video of the dogs sniffing the magnetic lifters where the meth were supposed to be hidden.

2) The K9 dogs of PDEA are old, retired, and offered to the public for adoption. There is no information that PDEA has young K9s. An ABS-CBN report says PDEA is waiting for a fresh batch of K9s.

3) July 11: The magnetic lifters arrived in Manila International Container Terminal (MICT). The BOC claimed they learned of the shipment only on Aug. 4.

4) July 14: The lifters were released.

5) Aug. 7: Around 500 kilograms of meth were recovered by the PDEA and BOC  at the MICT. This is worth P4.7 billion.

6) Aug 10: According to Rappler, “PDEA discovered 4 empty magnetic lifters in a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. The magnetic lifters were supposed to contain 1,000 kilos of shabu”. [How did they “know” 1,000 kilos of shabu were present?]

7) Aug. 11: PDEA director general Aaron Aquino [without presenting evidence] accused “some people” in the BOC of being “in cahoots with the drug syndicate that brought a ton of shabu worth P6.8 billion into the country.”

8) Aug. 13: PDEA and the police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) swabbed the magnetic lifters. No meth found.

9) Aug. 14: House committee on dangerous drugs conducted an investigation into the P6.8 billion worth of meth but Aquino didn’t attend the meeting. Only two PDEA officials did and Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña.

10) Aug. 18: PDEA restricts a Rappler reporter from further investigating the P6.8 billion meth. Rappler’s reaction: “Rappler condemns in the strongest terms the attempt of PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon to cut Rappler reporter Rambo Talabong out of the agency’s official media advisory and coordination channel.”

11) Meth can be cleaned. The US Environmental Protection Agency has a 19-step guideline for cleaning meth. Number 12 states: “Use a detergent-water solution to wash ceilings, walls, floors, non-porous furniture and other items that will be kept.”

The American Environmental Laboratories quotes the EPA in its website, and provides the following advice: “Using a detergent-water solution; wash the ceilings, walls, floors, furniture and other household items that will not be discarded. Most experts and guidance documents recommend using a household detergent or soap product (such as Simple Green®). Follow the detergent manufacturer’s recommendation to determine the concentration of the solution. Cleaning should thoroughly cover the entire surface, not just spots…”

According to Wikipedia: “Simple Green is a brand of cleaning products produced by Sunshine Makers, Inc. [1] Their best known product is Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, which in 2004 totaled sales of at least US$5.7 million. [2] … Simple Green has been re-listed as an approved Surface Washing Agent per the EPA’s National Contingency Plan after being de-listed in 1995.”

While the investigation on the P6.8-billion shabu is going on, Aquino is on leave. He said he had filed for this vacation six months ago. That’s another six in this current administration.

See also http://elson.elizaga.net