Newspaper lensman arrested in GenSan for selling drugs

A newspaper photographer was caught selling drugs by anti-narcotics operatives in General Santos City on Thursday night.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Soccskargen Regional Office arrested Richard Basilio, 42, near an inn located along Davao Road national highway in General Santos City.

In a statement on Friday, PDEA Soccskargen Regional Office director Gil Castro Drug said operatives caught Basilio selling a sachet of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to a poser buyer for P500.

Also confiscated from his possession were an improvised tooter and lighter.

A few hours after his arrest, his alleged supplier was caught in another buy-busy operation at his residence along Rajah Solaiman Street in Barangay (village) Calumpang.

The suspect was identified as Tommy Pabilona, also 42 years old.

PDEA agents confiscated from Pabilona suspected shabu weighing more or less 0.8 gram with an estimated value P4,000 and the buy-bust money.

“Drug problem affects all walks of life, and this is disheartening that one of our partners in the media was involved in …  illegal drugs,” said Castro.

Cases for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the arrested suspects.

Meanwhile, an additional case for violation of Section 12 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia) will be filed against Basilio.

The two suspects are  detained at PDEA regional office’s detention facility.