GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 11 Sept) – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 12 has filed multiple charges against two former policemen assigned in Sultan Kudarat province who were arrested in a drug buy-bust operation here on Monday night.
Aileen Lovitos, PDEA Region 12 director, identified the suspects as dismissed police officers Kadil Omar Masahod Jr., 34, and Fernando Alim, 59, both previously assigned at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office in Isulan town.
The two were nabbed by PDEA operatives inside the Peaceful Lodge along Salvani Street, Block 8, in Barangay City Heights at past 9 p.m. last Monday, she said.
Lovitos said the suspects were allegedly caught in the act of selling metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to an agent who posed as a buyer.
She said the two yielded two sachets of suspected shabu, a caliber .45 handgun, a P500 marked money and several drug paraphernalia.
“We have long been monitoring the activities of these suspects and we finally cornered them through the buy-bust operation,” she said on Wednesday.
Lovitos said they filed complaints for violation of Sections 5, 11, 12 and 26 of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act before the City Prosecutor’s Office against the two suspects.
She said Section 5 is for the selling or trading of illegal drugs, Section 11 for possession of dangerous drugs, Section 12 for possession of illegal drug paraphernalia and Section 26 for conspiracy to commit unlawful acts, specifically the selling of illegal drugs.
Chief Supt. Charles Calima Jr., Region 12 police director, said the suspects were recently dismissed from service after failing the random drug tests conducted by his office.
“These are actually lawless elements disguising as police officers. They have no place in the service,” he said.
Masahod, who had held the rank of Police Officer (PO) 1, is a resident of Palimbang town and a son of retired Supt. Kadil Masahod Sr., a former police provincial mobile group director of Sultan Kudarat.
Alim, who was listed as a resident of Kalamansig town, is a former PO3 and was supposed to file for early retirement from service prior to his dismissal.