A police officer and two others were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Mabalacat City, Pampanga on Saturday.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Police Regional Office-3 Director, identified the suspects as Police Officer 1 Kevin Pierre Apostol, 29 years old and a resident of Fatima building, MacArthur Highway, Barangay San Francisco, Mabalacat, Pampanga; Angel Pabilonia, 39 years old, and Donato Felipe, 22 years old, both residents of Pineda Subdivision in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
Corpus said Apostol is an active policeman, assigned at the Arayat Municipal Police Station when he was arrested.
Seized from the suspects were nine plastic sachets containing suspected crystal meth or shabu with an estimated street value of P5,000. Authorities also recovered the P500 bill marked money used in the buy-bust.
Police also seized from the suspects a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, two Glock 17 magazines with 18 bullets, a face mask, a white bull cap, a black pouch and one stainless steel case.
Charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, illegal possession of firearms and violation of the election gun ban are being readied against the suspects.
“This move of filing charges, disciplining, and dismissing erring police personnel shows efforts of the PNP in removing bad eggs from the police force, and that the rule of law does not distinguish rank, position, or popularity whether victim or respondent in the PNP organization,” Corpus said.
“This is a clear manifestation of our keen determination to remove misfits among the ranks of our organization,” he added. /muf