Nabbed drug suspect not a PDEA asset

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 yesterday denied that one of the drug suspects arrested in a drug bust in Talisay City on Saturday night was their asset.

PDEA-7 director Adrian Alvariño said their office already banned having police assets.

Jezer Banzon, 30, a resident of Phase 1, Block 36, Lot 9, Deca Homes,Tungkil, Minglanilla, claimed to be a PDEA asset for almost a year.

“Definitely it’s a modus hindi ko kilala ang arrested person and we are not inviting controversy,” Alvariño told The FREEMAN over the phone.

The PDEA official also denied the accusation of Banzon that the evidence recovered from him were just planted by the police.

“That his allegation hindi namin papatulan yan. We did our part to address the drug problem. He committed crime he should face charges,” he said.

Central Command (CentCom) Public Information Officer, Maj. Christopher Tampus, also said they are now cooperating with the 3rd Infantry Division, which the suspect’s cohort, William Quiñones, is allegedly a member.

Tampus said he already sent a message to the 3rd ID in Panay to check if Quiñones, 28, of Phase 1, Block 4, Lot 2, Deca Homes, Tungkil, Minglanilla, was a bonafide member of the said division.

Tampus added that if proven that Quiñones was using 3rd ID for his personal agenda, they will file an administrative case against him aside from the criminal complaint to be filed by the PNP.

“We will wait for the report in PNP so we can file a case,” Tampus told The FREEMAN.

The suspects were arrested by personnel of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) led by SPO2 Ramil Villaluz on Saturday evening.

Villaluz said the suspects were transporting illegal drugs from Cebu City to Malabuyoc when they arrested them. The two suspects’ alleged drug source, a certain “Janeth” of Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, was able to elude arrest.

He added that “Janeth’s” group can disposed 50 grams of illegal drugs weekly amounting P350,000.

Recovered from the suspects’ possessions were one large sachet of illegal drugs with P32,000 street value; P500 bill used as “budol” money; .45 pistol with two and seven live ammunitions; a black holster; a cellular phone; a Yamaha motorcycle with plate number MC 4271 and a Honda XRM 125 with plate number 4756 GO.

Evidences were forwarded to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory 7 for examination while the firearm and its ammunitions were brought to the Firearms Explosives Security Service Agency and Guards Supervisory (FESSAGS).    (FREEMAN NEWS)