9 suspects fall for illegal drug ops within Malacañang complex

INQUIRER image

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday announced the arrest of nine suspects behind the selling of illegal drugs and maintaining of drug dens within the Malacañang complex.

NBI Director Dante Gierran identified the arrested suspects as Rolando Laya; Bryan Jason Batrina; Melvin Santiago; Freddie Nacion Jr.; Esperanza Pido; Joan Garcia; Ronnie Gonzales Lao; Sulpicio Reyes Cassiler Jr.; and Leonardo Dela Cruz Asa.

The arrest came after the Presidential Security Group (PSG) informed the NBI on June 6 that Laya and Batrina have been engaged in distribution and peddling of illegal drugs inside the Malacañang complex in Manila.

With this, Members of the NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID) conducted a buy-bust operation and arrested Laya, Batrina and Santiago on June 7. The suspects were also tested positive for using shabu (crystal meth).

After series of surveillance operations, agents of NBI-TFAID and PSG validated information that other suspects were also involved in the operations of illegal drug dens.

On Monday, agents of NBI-TFAID served a search warrant against suspects Nacion, Pido and Garcia in Barangay 662 in Paco, Manila and seized six heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu and drug paraphernalia.

Nacion, Pido and Garcia also tested positive for illegal drugs, the NBI said.

Authorities also served a search warrant against Lao in Barangay 831 in Paco, Manila and arrested him together with Cassiler and Asa, who were caught engaging in a drug session.

Seized were drug paraphernalia, eight sachets of shabu, one plastic containing dried marijuana and a pistol with magazine and ammunition.

The seized drugs were brought to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Laboratory Service for testing.

Nine suspects were presented for inquest proceeding before the Manila Prosecutors Office for filing of cases for violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Lao will also face charges for violation of Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Intensified intelligence gathering

NBI Spokesperson Lawyer Ferdinand Lavin said the arrest of the suspects proved that the PSG enhanced their intelligence gathering against drug suspects.

“It only shows that PSG has intensified its intelligence gathering and more than ever pina-igting lang nila ang kanilang trabaho,” Lavin said in a press briefing at the NBI headquarters.

Lavin said the illegal drug activities “posed a threat” in the anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration.

“The [illegal drug activity] in the complex is not inside the compound of Malacañang, it is within the surrounding vicinity of Malacañang [and] it poses a threat to the campaign of the government against illegal drugs,” Lavin said. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)