Former barangay captain nabbed for ‘drug peddling’

DUMAGUETE  CITY, Philippines — A former village chief in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental was arrested late Monday evening in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group of the Philippine National Police in coordination with other law enforcement agencies.

PAIDSOTG chief  Police Inspector Ryan Jay Orapa identified the suspect as Axel Quindo Alcantara, an ex-barangay captain, of legal age and married, and who was arrested around 11:30 p.m. Monday at Amparos Village in Bayawan City.

The suspect was placed under arrest after he allegedly sold alleged methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, with an estimated alleged methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to an undercover agent, said Orapa.

The "shabu" had an estimated street value of  P15,000.

Aside from the PAIDSOTG, operatives from the Bayawan City police station led by Senior Inspector Avell Laborte, city police chief, and representatives from the local office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The arrest of Alcantara comes as law enforcement agencies continue without let-up their relentless operations against the illegal drugs trade in Negros Oriental.

Just recently, a suspected drug pusher, identified as Reynard Silva Torres of Tanjay City, was gunned down Saturday afternoon along the Rizal Boulevard near the Dumaguete City Port by unidentified suspects.

Silva died of multiple gunshot wounds at a local hospital in Dumaguete City.

Police authorities said was a subject of a warrant of arrest also for illegal drugs peddling and was linked to the late Marlon Silva, who was killed several weeks ago during a standoff with authorities in Tanjay City after he refused to surrender to them.

Torres was believed to have been in an illegal drugs transaction at the time of his death, based on a text message retrieved from his mobile phone that mentioned some payment for a purported drug deal. — (FREEMAN)