GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/30 January) — Anti-drug operatives arrested an incumbent village chair in Maasim town in Sarangani for possession of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a raid at his house on Friday.
Kath Abad, public information officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 12, identified the suspect as Bonie Jalil Sultan, 28, a second termer chair of Barangay Lumatil in Maasim.
Sultan who was arrested at around 4:40 a.m. in his house in Sitio Dampilan, Barangay Lumatil, is the third village official arrested by PDEA-12 since November for illegal drug-related offenses.
The operation, which was based on a search warrant issued by the Sarangani Regional Trial Court, was jointly launched by the PDEA-12, Sarangani police’s intelligence branch, Sarangani Provincial Police Safety Company and the Maasim municipal police station.
Abad said the operatives recovered during the raid about a gram of suspected shabu with estimated market value of P7,500, a caliber .45 magazine and shell, a caliber .38 shell, a pouch, and a black leather wallet containing P100 and P500 bills amounting to P90,000.
“He is considered a high value target due to his stature as an elected government official,” she said in a statement.
Abad said Sultan, who is currently detained at the PDEA-12 lockup here, will be charged for violation of Section 11 or possession of dangerous drugs under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
On November 20, PDEA-12 agents nabbed Datu Pudin Ambalgan, chair of Barangay Upper Sepaka in Surallah, South Cotabato, following the recovery of suspected shabu in a raid of his house in Purok Bago, Barangay Ambalgan in Sto. Nino town.
On Jan. 22, barangay councilor Jupit Garcia of Lampitak in Tampakan, South Cotabato, was also arrested after allegedly selling a pack of dried marijuana leaves to a PDEA-12 agent during a buy-bust operation. (MindaNews)
