Jail guard nabbed for drug pushing

NAGA CITY — Police nabbed a provincial jail guard who doubles as a shabu pusher during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Calang here.

Naga City police chief Eliezer Bron identified the suspect as Joseph Mendones, a jail guard of the Camarines Sur provincial jail in Barangay Manangia in Pili town.

Bron said police operatives recovered three sachets of shabu, P500 marked bill and a fan knife from the suspect.

A police operative shot Mendones alyas "Ogie" who was high on drugs in the right leg after he tried to stab SPO1 Ruben Antonio during the operation at about 5:10 p.m. in Sitio Campilihan Thursday.

The suspect is the alleged leader of the Mendones Gang which has been tagged as the suspect in a series of robbery and illegal drug trafficking.

He is now detained at the city jail while charges are being filed for violation of R.A. 6425 and assault of a police officer.

Meanwhile, Albay police director Reynaldo Rafal said police have arrested one of the three suspects who shot dead SPO1 Ricky Banaia, a close-in security of Bicol PNP Director Enrique Galang, Jr. Friday afternoon.

Rafal identified the suspect as Julius Abion, 17, of Barangay Puro. Abion was positively identified by witnesses as the one who shot the victim in the head and chest while he was watching a cockfight in Barangay Puro. The three assailants took the victim’s 9mm service pistol after the incident. — Celso Amo