Mayor, aides uncover illegal drug trade in Mabalacat City

Mabalacat Mayor Crisostomo Garbo (right, in blue t-shirt) and his aides try to subdue the alleged drug buyer. | PHOTO: Screengrab from video footage courtesy of Mayor Garbo

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga — What should have been a peaceful visit to bedridden residents of Poblacion village here turned into a minor scuffle after the mayor and his aides witnessed an illegal drug trade between two men on Tuesday.

Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and his aides were walking towards a house at Sitio Diamond when they passed by a man suspiciously handing over something to another man.

Sensing something was off, Garbo asked the men what they were doing. Upon recognizing the mayor, the suspected pusher quickly ran. Some of the mayor’s aides pursued him but failed to catch up with him.

Garbo and his aides were able to grab and subdue the suspected buyer before turning him over to the local police.

In a statement, Garbo said the arrested person had agreed to cooperate with the police, which immediately conducted a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of the suspected pusher and another drug personality.

READ: 5 nabbed in Mabalacat City ‘drug den’

“We did not find any drugs from the person that we cornered, but he volunteered to be an asset. Because of this, the Mabalacat police conducted a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of two notorious characters, Jerson Balajadia and Sarex Serrano,” the mayor said in a statement.

He said three small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of “shabu” (crystal meth) were seized from the suspects. The marked P500 bill was also recovered.

Garbo said he had asked city police director Lt. Colonel Alfredo Canlas to intensify the campaign against illegal drugs here.

“Let this serve as a lesson and another warning to everyone who is engaged in such activities. Hindi namin kayo sasantuhin,” he said.

The two suspected drug traders face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. INQ