Teacher, 8 others nabbed over drugs

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines  â€“ A 58-year-old public high school teacher selling shabu fell to operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 1 during a buy-bust operation in Alaminos City, Pangasinan on June 13, a belated report said, while a drug den operator and five others were also busted in La Union a day after.

PDEA named the teacher as Salvacion Rabadon, from Pag-asa Street, Palamis, Alaminos City, Pangasinan. She  is a high school teacher in Los Ciente High School in Bolinao town.

Bismark Bengwayan, spokesperson of the PDEA-Region 1 said, Rabadon, together with her cohorts Ronald Lopez, alias Onad, 38, and Maria Cristina Mendez, alias Maria, 27, were busted after they handed over four plastic sachets containing methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, weighing approximately eight grams to agents who posed as buyers in Pag-asa Street.

The teacher and her cohorts are now facing violations of section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), and section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165,  (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,).

The next day,  an alleged maintainer of a suspected drug den, together with five other drug trafficking suspects were arrested in La Union.

PDEA named those already facing drug cases as Jayson Lubian, 30,  an alleged former policeman; Ralphy Licudan, 32; both residents of Poblacion, Bacnotan, La Union; Virgil Michel Pambid, 35, from Purok 2 Santiago Norte, San Fernando City; Arnold Ryan Agbayani III, 28, from Baroro, Bacnotan, La Union; Arnel Apinaldo, 32, from Paglegedan, Balaoan, La Union; and Michael Castro, 30, from Cabaroan, San Fernando City, La Union.

Bengwayan said PDEA agents aided by Bacnotan policemen staged a buy-bust operation at Agbayani’s residence doubling as a drug den in Baroro, Bacnotan, cornering Agbayani and his cohorts.

Four plastic sachets of suspected shabu; one plastic sachet of suspected dried marijuana leaves; one .45 caliber pistol with seven live ammunition; one .38 caliber pistol with five live ammunition; five motorcycles; seven assorted cellular phones; P1,900 cash  various drug paraphernalia were seized from the suspects.