The suspect, Ronaldo Dy, 28, reportedly tried to bribe arresting officers from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).
AIDSOTF said a number of politicians and police officials also tried to seek the release of the suspects, prompting the task force to file drug pushing charges against Dy; his brother-in-law, Carlos Castro, 28; and Castrel Vinci Estacio, 21, before prosecutor Archie Manabat of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Dy gave his address at BF Homes in Parañaque City; Castro at Tierra Pura Subdivision in Quezon City and Estacio at BF Homes in Las Piñas.
Dy’s uncle, Cesar, is the mayor of Cauayan City.
Superintendent Andy Suan, chief of the AIDSOFT’s Special Operations Unit 2 (SOU2) said they arrested Dy after two weeks of surveillance operations.
Suan said an informant turned up at their office last week informing them of the proliferation of Ecstasy tablets among students of De La Salle Univerity-College of St. Benilde on Taft Avenue in Malate, Manila.
He said the informant arranged a deal with his contact last Friday in Las Piñas. However, the deal was called off after the contact’s source ran out of Ecstasy tablets.
Another deal was arranged, this time at the Manila Pavilion, but was also called off at the last minute due to the same reason, said Suan.
The third deal was arranged at the parking lot of a fastfood chain near the Tierra Pura Subdivision in Tandang Sora, Commonwealth in Quezon City.
Suan said his informant, accompanied by his men, negotiated for the purchase of 30 tablets of Ecstasy from Estacio, who arrived on board a gray Toyota Vios. "It seems that Estacio acted as the broker of Dy in the sale of illegal drugs," said Suan.
Estacio told his group to wait and minutes later the young Dy and Castro arrived on board a chocolate brown Honda CRV, he added.
Dy and his companions were arrested after they handed over the 30 Ecstasy tablets to the informant in exchange for P50,000. AIDSOTF agents also confiscated their two vehicles.
According to Suan, the young Dy tried to bribe him but he turned him down.
"I told him that ours is legitimate operation. Our target are students, who are scions of rich families, and their arrest was accidental," said Suan.
Suan broke into a laugh when pressed to confirm reports that politicians and police officials tried to intercede for the release of the three suspects.
Dy and his companions refused to issue any statement regarding their arrest. They are detained at the custodial center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Camp Crame.