Brgy. Lacquios, Arayat, Pampanga
September 27, 2016

As the government continues its fight against illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte inspected the alleged mega shabu laboratory at Barangay Lacquios, Arayat, Pampanga.

In his statement, the President said that the facility was built during the campaign period and eventually abandoned when he won the presidency. The land was sold to a certain individual named ‘Sunday Chua’ who allegedly escaped upon learning that the police team would be raiding the place.

The President ordered the confiscation of the facility and instructed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to either completely destroy it or re-use it for industrial purposes. As for the property, he said that the municipality of Arayat could use the land for building a drug rehabilitation center.

President Duterte emphasized that narco-politics already exists in the country, and that the public has the right to know who the corrupt officials are, but he also said that he is a person who knows how to apologize when he commits a mistake. He then relayed his apologies to three local government officials that he initially announced as being involved in the illegal drug trade.

After his message, the President entertained questions from the media covering the event.

According to Philippine National Police (PNP) Region III Director Aaron Aquino, the mega shabu laboratory was discovered and raided this September. The facility is said to produce close to 300-400 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) per day, amounting to an estimated worth of PhP 1.5 billion.

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