Ex-Pangasinan mayor nabbed in drug raid

MANGATAREM, Pangasinan — The local police seized 545 grams of shabu, several grams of dried marijuana leaves and several firearms from a former mayor here and his close aide in a raid at his apartment in Gen. Luna st. this town at about 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

Supt. Orlando Hilario, the town police chief, told The STAR that he and his men seized the illegal drugs from former Mayor Jessie Punzal, 45, and his aide, Ricardo Manaois of Barangay Parian, of this town.

Punzal is the brother-in-law of incumbent Mayor Nelson Cruz.

Hilario said that the former mayor and four others were still sleeping when the police, together with Municipal Councilor Efren de Vera, a former policeman, conducted the raid.

Police confiscated 210.4 grams of shabu, 2.9 grams of dried marijuana leaves, one .45 caliber pistol with live ammunitions beside the mayor’s bed. A few minutes after raiding the mayor’s apartment, they proceeded to the house of Manaois, a long-time associate of the mayor, where they seized 334.6 grams of shabu, one caliber .38 revolver, one caliber .22 revolver, one caliber .22 rifle and one airgun rifle. — Eva de Leon