Jail officer’s house yields shabu in drug buy-bust

CEBU, Philippines -  Thirty-four sachets of suspected shabu were confiscated during a buy bust operation at the house of a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officer at Poblacion Ilawod in Sara, Iloilo.

The raid’s targets, Jail Officer 1 Kenneth Puerto and his wife Mary Tina, were however not present during the police operation.

Instead, members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s Special Operations Group arrested the couple’s househelp, Cherry Ann Lasconia.

Aside from shabu, police operatives also found the marked money, P14,000 cash, mobile phone, three ammunition of .45-caliber pistol, and drug paraphernalia.

With Puerto’s alleged involvement, IPPO director Sr. Supt. Gil Lebin said it was possible that the jail officer had something to do with the reported illegal drug activities at the BJMP District Jail in Brgy. Ungka, Jaro, Iloilo City, where the latter is assigned.

Meanwhile, SJO2 Leo Lacerna, BJMP investigation chief, said they will leave the criminal investigation to the arresting police officers. “We would also conduct our own investigation relative to his administrative culpability,” he said.

Part of the investigation would also ascertain if he is involved in the entry of illegal drugs at the BJMP facility, Lacerna said.  (FREEMAN)