A POLICE officer caught sniffing suspected shabu on Thursday yielded positive for illegal drug use following the results of a laboratory examination, an official said Friday.
The PNP Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame said Supt. Lito Cabamongan, formerly head of the Crime Laboratory-Southern District Satellite Office in Muntinlupa City, was found positive for using illegal drugs, said Aurelio Trampe, director of the Crime Laboratory.
“The initial test yielded positive results. He will be subjected to confirmatory test and the result will be known next week,” Trampe said.
He made his statement even as criminal charges were finally filed against seven policemen from the Manila Police District who allegedly extorted money from a group of illegal vendors on Kalaw Street and at the Rizal Park in Manila.
MPD Chief Joel Coronel identified five of the dismissed officers allegedly involved in the racket as SPO2 Marvin Velasquez, SPO2 Romel Santos Alfaro, PO3 John Gaviola David, PO3 Leo De Jos and PO2 Romeo Rosini Jr.
Cabamongan, 50, and alleged drug pusher Nedy Sabdao, 44, were arrested after being caught sniffing shabu in a house inside Everlasting Homes in Barangay Talon IV around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday.
The arrest of Cabamongan prompted PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to rush to the Las Piñas City Police Station to give him a dressing down.
Trampe said the results of the test will be the basis of any legal action against Cabamongan, the highest police officer nabbed for illegal drug use so far.
Dela Rosa stressed Cabamongan’s arrest clearly showed there were no sacred cows in the PNP’s war on illegal drugs.