Another Tinga Drug Ring Syndicate Member Falls
Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano today hailed the local police, particularly operatives of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), for capturing a remnant of a notorious drug peddling syndicate which hounded city residents during the previous local administration.
Falling prey to a buy-bust operation at around 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14, was alleged drug “pusher” Elisa Tinga, alias “Ely”, 53, a resident of Kalayaan Street, Ususan, Taguig. Members of the DEU staged the buy-bust near the female suspect’s house.
Confiscated from the drug peddler was 17 grams or P290,000 worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride—better known as “shabu”. Also arrested during the same operation were Elisa’s accomplices Andrea Escalante and Daniel Datinggaling.
According to Taguig anti-narcotics cops, Tinga is included in the Top Three of its list of identified distributors of illegal drugs in Barangay Ususan. She is the wife of another DEU target, Noel Tinga, alias “Noel Puso”, who is reportedly the cousin of a local politician.
Tinga is likewise the seventh member of the notorious “Tinga Drug Syndicate” to be arrested by police since 1996. That year, one Hector Tinga was nabbed for drug raps.
“This is our latest victory in our all-out war against illegal drugs. My administration will never tolerate peddlers of substance of abuse,” declared Mayor Lani.
Referring to the arrested suspects, the mayor noted: “These people have ruined countless lives, and will ruin many more if we turn a blind eye on them. The only way to stop them is to go after them aggressively.”
“I commend our DEU and the whole of Taguig PNP under our police chief, Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr., for their continued efforts in bringing drug pushers to justice,” said the lady chief executive.
Before Mayor Lani took over the helm in Taguig, the city had the bad reputation of being an illegal drug “hot spot” mainly due to the extensive operations of the syndicate, which, reports had it, enjoyed protection from the past administration. This “protection” purportedly led to a lot of dropped charges against nabbed drug ring members.
“This is a challenge not only to the Cayetano administration and PNP. I believe the bigger challenge now is with the fiscal and judges who will hold these drug-related cases,” the lady mayor said.
“Our police officers can only do so much. Once they turn in these alleged drug pushers, it is up to the fiscals and judges to ensure that the guilty parties are meted their due punishment from the law, which in this case is Republic Act (R.A.) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002. It is as big a responsibility for them as it is for us,” reckoned Mayor Lani.
In January 2007, the Southern Police District (SPD) announced the arrest of Bernardo Tinga for drug pushing. Months later, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) caught Fernando, Allan Carlos, and Alberto—all surnamed Tinga—on similar charges.
The following year, another Tinga Drug Syndicate member named Joel Tinga fell in the hands of authorities.
Atty. Darwin Icay, the mayor’s spokesperson and chief of the Taguig Public Information Office (PIO), stressed that the Cayetano administration is committed to protecting its constituency from the drug menace.
“Mayor Lani led a conscious campaign in cleaning the city’s past image as a haven for drug pushers. She overhauled the Taguig Anti-Drug Abuse Council (TADAC) and now serves as its chairperson. The mayor allocated a fund of P3,500,000 for the Council to ensure that it can fulfill its mandate,” Icay said.
The lawyer noted that the Cayetano administration has likewise set aside P10,000,000 for the construction of a rehabilitation center for drug dependents and another P5,000,000 for a juvenile jail.
“This goes to show that while we are tough against drug suspects, we do everything we can to save the victims,” Icay pointed out.
FILIPINO VERSION:
Pinuri ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano ang kapulisan partikular ang mga operatiba ng Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) matapos maaaresto ang isa sa mga notorious na drug-pusher sa Taguig.
Naaresto noong Sabado (Hulyo 14) sa ganap na alas-9 ng gabi ang hinihinalang drug pusher na si Elisa Tinga, alias “Ely”, 53, residente ng Kalayaan Street, Ususan, Taguig sa pamamagitan ng buy-bust operation na isinagawa ng miyembro ng DEU na malapit sa bahay ng suspect.
Nakumpiska kay Tinga ang 17 grams o nagkakahalagang P290,000 methamphetamine hydrochloride o mas kilala sa tawag na “shabu”. Kasama ring nasakote sa naturang operasyon ang mga umano’y mga kasabwat ni Tinga na sina Andrea Escalante at Daniel Datinggaling.
Ayon sa anti-narcotics ng Taguig pulis, si Tinga ay nasa “top three” sa kanilang listahan sa mga distributor ng shabu sa Barangay Ususan.
Si Tinga ay asawa ng isa pang kasama sa watch list ng pulis dahil sa iligal na droga na si Noel Tinga, alias “Noel Puso” na umano’y pamangkin ng isang lokal na pulitiko sa lungsod.
Si Tinga ang pang-pitong miyembro ng notorious “Tinga Drug Syndicate” na naaresto ng pulis simula pa noong 1996. Noong taong iyon, nahuli ng pulis si Hector Tinga dahil sa iligal na droga.
“Hindi natin pinapayagan ang pagbenta ng illegal na droga dito sa ating lungsod. Ang mga ganitong elemento ang sumisira ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan at dapat natin ipakulong ang mga sangkot dito dahil marami pa silang masisirang buhay kung ito’y magpapatuloy. At para matapos ang ganitong salot sa ating lungsod kailangan natin sugpuin ang mga dapat managot,” saad ni Mayor Lani.
“Pinasasalamatan ko ang DEU at ang buong Taguig PNP sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr., dahil sa kanilang patuloy na pagsugpo at paghuli sa mga drug pushers,” sabi ng punong lokal na ehikutibo.
Bago pa man mailuklok si Mayor Lani ng lungsod, kilala ang Taguig bilang “hot spot” dahil namayagpag dito ang operasyon ng Tinga drug syndicate. Ayon sa mga report, ang sindikatong ito ay protektado nuong panahon ng panunungkulan ng dating administrasyon na hinihinalang siyang naging daan para maibasura ang kaso sa mga nasabing miyembro ng sindikato.
“May limitasyon po ang kayang gawin ng ating kapulisan. Matapos nilang maiharap sa korte ang mga nahuling suspek sa droga, nasa kamay na ng mga piskal at huwes kung anong kaparusahan ang dapat igawad sa mga napatunayang may kasalanan sa ilalim ng Republic Act (RA) 9165 o ang Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002. Isa itong malaking responsibilidad sa kanila at sa ating lahat,” ayon kay Mayor Lani.
Noong Enero 2007, inihayag ng Southern Police District ang pagkaaresto ni Bernardo Tiñga dahil sa pagtutulak ng droga. Ilang buwan ang nakalipas, naaresto ng mga operatiba ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sina Fernando, Allan Carlos, at Alberto-lahat ay may apelyidong Tiñga-sa mga katulad na kaso laban sa droga .
At nang sumunod na taon si Joel Tinga, na isa rin sa mga miyembro ng Tinga Drug Syndicate ay naaresto ng mga pulis.
Ayon kay Atty. Darwin Icay, tagapagsalita ni Mayor Cayetano at hepe ng Taguig Public Information Office (PIO), ang administrasyong Cayetano ay nakatuon sa pangangalaga at proteksyon ng lungsod laban sa iligal sa droga.
“Pinangunahan ni Mayor Lani ang kampanya laban mga ipinagbabawal na gamot upang maisalba ang magandang imahe ng lungsod laban sa mga drug pusher. Inayos niya ang pamunuan ng Taguig Anti-Drug Abuse Council (TADAC) na siya na ngayon ang nagsisilbi bilang chairperson. Ang alkalde ay naglaan ng P3,500,000 para sa TADAC upang matiyak ang pagpapatupad ng kanyang adhikain laban sa droga,” sabi ni Icay.
Ayon kay Icay, naglaan din ang administrasyong Cayetano ng P10,000,000 para pagpapagawa ng rehabilitation center para sa nahuling gumagamit ng bawal na gamot at naglaan pa ng P5,000,000 para sa juvenile jail.
“Ito ay nagpapakita lang na habang tayo ay lumalaban sa mga salot ng lipunan na mga drug pusher, ginagawa din natin ang lahat para mailigtas ang mga nabiktima ng iligal na droga,” dagdag ni Icay.