ARAYAT, PAMPANGA: President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday revealed that the Bilibid drug syndicate was behind the operations of a big shabu laboratory in Barangay Lacquios at the foot of Mt. Arayat.
“The operators of this structure are drug lords there inside [NBP]. Somehow, if not for the cell phones there in Bilibid they could not have done it,” the President, who toured the illicit facility, said.
Lacquios is about five kilometers from Barangay Balitucan in Magalang town where the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the police discovered a piggery farm concealing an underground shabu laboratory on September 7. Seven Chinese nationals were arrested there.
The facility at Lacquios was a large warehouse surrounded by trees and shrubs.
The President said the government should sequester the property and turn it into a drug rehabilitation facility.
“But you have to strengthen the foundation, you can have two floors here for rehab,” Duterte said.
“I will find the money, that’s for sure. I can have about P25 million to P50 million. It’s gonna be a beautiful rehab center,” he added.
The laboratory was allegedly operated by Chinese nationals, led by a certain Mr. Chua.
This was the second shabu-making factory found in Pampanga. Three others were discovered in Angeles City since March.