MANILA, Philippines – A regional trial court in Angeles City in Pampanga province ordered the arraignment of five Chinese nationals being held for allegedly manufacturing and possessing illegal drugs.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Police Regional Office 3 said that on January 8, RTC Branch 57 Judge Omar Viola called for the arraignment of the suspects on January 22.

Central Luzon Police head Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo dela Cruz identified the five suspects as Yang Hong Liang, Yang Liang Zao, Yang Pei Zi, Lin Asi, and Cang Churni. All are natives of Fujian, China.

The suspects were arrested by combined elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the National Police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) and Central Luzon policemen in two separate raids in Angeles City last Dec. 12, 2008.

Seized from them were chemicals used in making methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu" and laboratory equipment with an estimated value of P50 million.

By virtue of the Viola’s order, the AID-SOTF also transferred the suspects from the National Police Custodian Center to the Angeles City District Jail in Camp Tomas Pepito, Sto. Domingo, Angeles City last January 11.

Viola’s order stemmed from the Angeles City’s prosecutor’s resolution recommending the filing of information for violations of Sections 8, 11, and 12 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against the arrested suspects without the benefit of bail for their temporary liberty.

* It is a good thing that officers in here are still vigilant especially to these cases. Shabu is a dangerous drug and people who use shabu are dangerous because they sometimes don't know what they're doing, they are not in their normal set of mind. And people who are influenced by this usually resort to violence. I believe that some people who could rape, murder or steal are influenced by this. So, one way to lessen crime is to catch the once who sells drugs. *