Koronadal City smoking ban enforcer falls in drug sting

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines (Corrected 3:42 p.m.) — His image as a tough enforcer of a government anti-smoking ordinance was seemingly a cover for his large-scale drug trafficking activities.

Floyd Rodriguez, 42, of the city's environment and natural resources office fell in an entrapment operation on Thursday laid by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-12 and by local police.

Kath Abad, pulic information staff of PDEA-12, said Friday said the agency had been informed of Rodriguez's alleged clandestine peddling of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) by drug suspects they had arrested and by residents of Koronadal City.

Rodriguez was popular in Koronadal City for his diligent enforcement of a ban on smoking in public places.

Dozens of violators had been penalized as a result of his toughness in enforcing the ordinance in the city market here where he was assigned.

He was arrested in the act of selling shabu to an agent disguised as drug dependent in a sting assisted by the city government here.

The arrest of Rodriguez was preceded by a PDEA operation in Cotabato City the same day that resulted in the capture of a former barangay official who was a high-value target of the agency.

Josephine Manguindalat, former member of the Poblacion 7 barangay council in Cotabato City , was cornered by agents of the PDEA-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the local police in her hideout also on Thursday.

PDEA-ARMM agents raided her house based on a warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in Cotabato City after neighbors reported her distribution of shabu in their barangay.

The raiding team found shabu and mobile phones with messages detailing drug deals with her contacts.

In a statement, the PDEA-ARMM said the raid that resulted in the Maguindalat's arrest was assisted by the office of Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and agents under Superintendent Rolly Octavio of the city police office.

(Editor's note: An earlier report incorrectly stated that Maguindalat is a former member of the Rosary Heights 7 barangay council. This has been corrected)