Doctor, environment exec nabbed in Davao City drug bust

DAVAO CITY – A physician and an environment executive were arrested by anti-narcotics agents in a raid here on Tuesday, authorities on Wednesday said.

Naravy Duquiatan, officer-in-charge of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Southern Mindanao, identified the suspects as Stephen So Tay, 56, of San Pedro Village, Buhangin district here and Benjamin Medel, 52, officer-in-charge of the Albay provincial environment and natural resources office (Penro), a resident of Legazpi City.

Tay is reportedly a surgeon in private hospital here, while Medel is his fraternity brother who was in Davao for an event.

The suspects were arrested during a buy-bust operation by PDEA agents inside Tay’s house on Marigold Street, San Pedro Village at around
5:30 p.m., Duquiatan said.

Duquiatan said Tay was nabbed after handing a sachet of shabu (crystal meth) to an agent who acted as poseur-buyer.

“Medel was also apprehended after he was caught in the act of using illegal drugs inside Tay’s residence,” the acting regional anti-narcotics chief said.

Authorities recovered during the raid some P97,000 worth of shabu (crystal meth), several drug paraphernalia, the P1,000-marked money
used in the buy bust transaction and a fragmentation grenade.

The anti-drug enforcers also confiscated an Isuzu DMax sports utility
vehicle owned by Tay which was allegedly used in illegal activities.

Duquiatan said the surgeon’s arrest was due to the help of the community in providing vital information against suspected drug personalities in their areas.

“These are positive indicators that (PDEA) is steadily gaining headway as the lead agency in the national anti-drug campaign,” the anti-drug official said.