■ PNP CRIME LABORATORIES NATIONWIDE TO CONDUCT INVENTORY OF SEIZED DRUGS

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa issues a directive for an inventory of stored evidence at all regional crime labs following the arrest of a crime lab chief in Muntinlupa.

An inventory of submitted evidence confiscated from suspected drug pushers and users will be conducted at Regional Crime Laboratories around the country after Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa issued the directive to ensure that these are all accounted for. This, following the arrest of a crime lab chief in Muntinlupa for allegedly sniffing shabu. PRO 7 Director Noli Taliño said he will speak with the chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory 7 to follow up on dela Rosa’s directive.

The Regional Crime Laboratory 7 has been asked to conduct an inventory of evidence confiscated from suspected drug pushers and users.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald dela Rosa ordered the inventory to ensure that these are all accounted for. The directive was issued following the arrest of a crime laboratory chief in Muntinlupa for allegedly sniffing shabu.

“These (pieces of ) evidence should not be tampered with because these will still be presented to the court. It should be secured and accounted for because all evidence will be forwarded to the crime lab,” said Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Noli Taliño.

Taliño said that he already spoke with the chief of the PNP 7 Crime Laboratory to follow dela Rosa’s directive.

The crime laboratory is not under the PRO 7, as it directly reports to its national headquarters in Manila.

Taliño said that the PRO 7 will wait for the inventory report to be submitted by the crime laboratory.

Supt. Lito Cabamongan, 50, chief of Muntinlupa City’s Crime Laboratory, was arrested after he was allegedly caught sniffing shabu. Cabamongan denied the accusation.

He was scolded by dela Rosa who then announced that all regional crime laboratories should do an inventory of stored evidence.