Packs of suspected shabu seized in a dawn raide in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat province on Saturday, July 30 2016. Photo courtesy of Sultan Kudarat Police
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/06 February) – Police anti-drug operatives arrested a son of an incumbent city councilor in an operation in a housing village here on Tuesday afternoon.
Chief Insp. Tirso Pascual, chief of the city police drug enforcement unit, said Wednesday suspect Mark John Bagonoc, 38, was nabbed at around 4 p.m. in an entrapment infront of his home along Calina Street, Agan Centro subdivision in Barangay Lagao.
He said the suspect “positively sold” a small sachet of suspected shabu (crystal meth) worth P1,000 to an operative who posed as a buyer.
In a subsequent search, he said Bagonoc yielded a medium plastic sachet containing suspected shabu worth P5,000.
“We monitored his movements for several days and eventually confirmed his involvement in the drug trade,” Pascual said.
The police official said they earlier received a tip about the illegal activities of Bagonoc, who was not included in their drug watchlist.
Citing information gathered by their unit, he said the suspect was a drug user, had undergone rehabilitation and noted that “his family is aware of his drug activity.”
“He was a drug dependent who unfortunately turned to drug pushing,” he said in a radio interview.
Pascual said the suspect will be charged with selling and possession of dangerous drugs under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“That’s a big problem because drug pushing is a non-bailable offense,” he said.
The suspect is a son of City Councilor Elizabeth Bagonoc, who topped the city council race in the 2016 elections.
Bagonoc, who is currently on her third term, is one of the nominees for a seat in the House of Representatives of partylist group OFW Family.
(MindaNews)
