MAYOR Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has called for an investigation on the "confiscation of some 400 grams of suspected cocaine" worth P2.1 million which actually turned out to be sugar.
Salazar said she requested Police Brigadier General Jesus Cambay Jr., Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, to lead the investigation.
Salazar is also asking the central office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct its own probe using personnel from the head office.
Salazar called for the investigation after the PDEA-Zamboanga Peninsula announced that the 400 grams of suspected cocaine turned out to be sugar and negative of illegal drug substance.
The issue has gone viral as netizens posted their respective reactions on social media. Some expressed doubts on the result of the laboratory test.
Salazar said she called for an investigation since the police are doing their job and "they were only following PDEA procedures."
"It (suspected cocaine) was seized by the operatives of the PNP and PDEA and eventually, the seized evidence was brought here at PDEA-9 laboratory for forensic examination and unfortunately, after the chemical testing, it tested negative for alleged cocaine," Emerson Margate, PDEA-Zamboanga Peninsula director, said in a press conference Tuesday, October 6.
Margate said they are willing to face an investigation to clear doubts and speculations surrounding the confiscation of the suspected cocaine.
"It is much better if the investigation will be handled by an independent body to erase all doubts on the issue," Margate added.
The 400 grams of suspected cocaine were seized in a joint police and PDEA buy-bust operation on September 28 in Don Pablo Lorenzo Street in Zone 4 village, Zamboanga City.
Four persons were arrested while a pick-up type vehicle and a bundle of P1.1 million boodle money topped with one genuine P1,000 bill as marked money were also seized from the suspects.
Police Major Elmer Solon, Zamboanga City Police Office's Station 11 chief, who led the buy-bust operation, said the city prosecutor's office dismissed the case they filed against the four suspects since the laboratory test turned out negative for illegal drug substance.
Solon earlier said that they launched the buy-bust operation after three months surveillance in the illegal activities of the suspects.
But Solon said this will not stop them from running after drug dealers, pushers and user in the city. (SunStar Zamboanga)