Village councilwoman, partner fall in buy-bust, barangay chief for guns

LEGAZPI CITY --- Anti-narcotics operatives yesterday morning collared two alleged illegal drug pushers that yielded P68,000 worth of suspected shabu during an anti-drug operation in a coastal village here, an officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.

Christian Frivaldo, PDEA acting regional director, said that Agnes Ingles, a barangay kagawad, and her live-in partner Ruben Mirabel of Barangay Dinagaan were arrested at around 5:15 a.m. of June 26 by police operatives armed with a search warrant.

Recovered from the suspects were a medium size plastic sachet and eleven more small plastic sachets containing suspected shabu. The illegal drugs were estimated to have a street value of P68,000. Frivaldo said the suspects were considered a high value target of the anti-drugs agency.

Meanwhile, an incumbent barangay chairman in Masbate was arrested by police operatives yesterday evening following the recovery of several high-powered firearms inside his residence in Placer town, Masbate.

Arrested was Dioscoro Dickyam Sy, incumbent chairman of Barangay Nagarao, Placer town, according to Police Major Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Philippine National Police (PNP) Bicol spokesperson.

Calubaquib said police operatives responded to information that the suspect was selling firearms.

Accordingly, a police crack team swooped down the suspect’s residence at around 7:00 a.m. of June 26 and recovered an M14 rifle and four .45 caliber handguns.

The suspect did not resist arrest and was brought to the Placer town jail.

Police probers are investigating whether the suspect is a gun runner or a member of a political armed group (PAG).

In an interview, Calubaquib said the PNP has on its watch list four PAGs operating in Bicol, two of which operate in Masbate province and the other two are in Camarines Sur.