Two barangay councilmen fall in drug bust

CEBU, Philippines - Two barangay councilmen were arrested in separate illegal drugs buy-bust operations, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first to be arrested was 37-year-old John Bayag, councilman of Barangay Linao in Barotac Nuevo town of Iloilo, after he sold a sachet of shabu for P300 to a police poseur buyer.

Inspector Sullen Domingo, Barotac Nuevo Police chief, said Bayag also yielded to the police P1,031 cash and seven sachets of shabu.

Police monitoring revealed that Bayag, who has no other legitimate income aside from farming, has entered the illegal drug trade since more than a year ago. Bayag admitted to his illegal activity and claimed to have sourced his supply from an unnamed source in Iloilo City.

The second arrest came on Wednesday morning with the arrest of 46-year-old Antonio Oyales, councilman of Barangay Ayobo in Tobias Fornier town of Antique.

Joint elements of the Tobias Fornier Police Station, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Antique, and the Antique Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group, led by Superintendent Noel Lamsis, arrested Oyales and recovered from him seven sachets of shabu, the marked money, and drug paraphernalia.

Bayag was ranked number five in Iloilo province's target list of illegal drug personalities, while Oyales was ninth. The two are now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act).

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's 2014 Annual Report showed that 190 public officials were arrested for drug-related violations. Of this number, 85 were government employees, 56 were elected officials and 49 were law enforcers. — Jennifer P. Rendon (FREEMAN)