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A Marikina policeman who has been declared absent without official leave (Awol) since 2015 was arrested in a buy-bust operation for selling and possession of illegal drugs on Wednesday afternoon.
Marikina City police chief Senior Supt. Roger Quesada identified the suspect as PO1 Ronnie Gonzaga, 32, formerly assigned at the Marikina City police of the Eastern Police District (EPD).
Gonzaga was arrested by members of the city’s drug enforcement unit led by its head Insp. Greco Gonzales in his house along Bonifacio Ave. in Brgy Barangka around 6:10 p.m.
Quesada said a “confidential informant” squealed Gonzaga’s drug pushing activities, prompting the city’s drug enforcement unit to conduct a test buy around 2 p.m. The police launched a buy-bust operation three hours after resulting in Gonzaga’s arrest.
Gonzaga faces charges for possession and selling of illegal drugs.
Police said they recovered from him five sachets of suspected shabu. Present during the buy-bust operation to witness the arrest was Brgy. Barangka Chair Efren Managuit.
Gonzaga had denied the allegations when reporters tried to interview him.
The police chief said Gonzaga was on the city’s drug watch list as pusher and user.
Gonzaga reportedly have started using drugs in 2015 after his father died, Quesada said.
Gonzaga had been advised to change his ways during the first weeks of the revived Oplan Tokhang Operation but apparently refused to do so, Quesada said.
“I am saddened that this happened. Hindi tayo nagkulang sa paalala [We did not miss reminding them]. If the [arrest] did not happen, though, he could still have returned to the police service. This is part of our internal cleansing,” Quesada said.
Based on the records of the EPD, Gonzaga served as policeman in December 2008 as member of the Marikina City Police. He was declared Awol starting July 6, 2015.
Prior to his arrest, Gonzaga had no previous criminal case.
Gonzaga is currently detained at the Marikina Police Station. /jpv
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