Sanchez staff member arrested for gun, shabu

CEBU, Philippines - A staff member of Cebu Board Member Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez was arrested Sunday in Sitio Buena Hills, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City for possession of unlicensed firearms and illegal drugs.

Sanchez, in an interview over radio dyLA, said authorities also recovered from Alvin Bicada, 48, the assorted jewelry worth P50,000 she lost a week ago.

“In the course of the investigation, we found out nga nalambigit siya sa pagkawala,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said she assigned Bicada at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center to assist her constituents at the hospital.

Police Officer 1 Alfredo Casas of the Guadalupe Police Station told The FREEMAN that Bicada was arrested following a report that an armed person was spotted in Buena Hills.

Police seized from Bicada a .45 pistol, one magazine, and a packet of crystalline substance believed to be shabu.

Bicada is detained at the Cebu City Jail and will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

Sanchez said she is also considering the possibility of filing a complaint for qualified theft against Bicada.

She disclosed that Bicada had escaped twice in from the series of drug tests conducted by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission on Capitol employees, which made her suspect that he might have been using illegal drugs. Bicada’s working habit has also reportedly changed, Sanchez added.

As a message to her employees, Sanchez said, “I warned them that I do not really tolerate drugs. I trust them and I hope they will respect that.” – (FREEMAN)