The National Bureau of Investigation is yet to determine if the five suspects NBI agents arrested in Parañaque City last Tuesday were the ones who manufactured the synthetic drugs found in the body of one of the fatalities in the concert event in Pasay City last month.
The suspects were found in possession of marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy and at least two of them admitted having attended the CloseUp Forever Summer party held at the Mall of Asia open parking ground in Pasay City on June 22.
NBI forensic expert Rommel Papa said traces of methylenedioxymethamphetamine methyl homolog and methylenedioxy cathinone were found in one of the two victims that they autopsied.
“Based on the autopsy report several specimens were taken including blood, liver and the brain, kidney, stomach contents and found in the deceased the presence of MDMA methyline homolog and methylenedioxy cathinone,” he said.
The NBI refused to divulge who among the two fatalities it autopsied tested positive for the lethal synthetic drugs.
Agents of the NBI Anti- Illegal Drugs Division headed by its chief Joel Tovera arrested on Tuesday Sergeoh Villanueva alias “Gio,” Marc Deen, Martin Dimacali, Thomas Halili and Eric Valbuena during a raid in a condominium in Parañaque City.
The NBI also seized “kitchen-type” laboratory equipment used in manufacturing synthetic and party drugs.
Tovera said the arrest was made a few days after the apprehension of suspected drug peddler Joshua Habalo in a buy-bust operation inside Remington Hotel in Pasay City two weeks ago.
Crime laboratory officials said based on the toxicology test results, there was an inflammation of vital organs especially in the brains of American Eric Miller and Ken Migawa, who both attended the CloseUp party.
Two other fatalities—Lance Garcia, 36, and Bianca Fontejon, 18, died of massive heart attack while the family of another victim Ariel Leal, 22, refused to have his body undergo autopsy examination.”¨
Police said during the event, audiences were allowed to buy and drink liquors in the different concessionaires inside the concert area. Several hours later, while the event was still ongoing, the five individuals were found unconscious.