A Barangay Chairman and an active member of the Philippine army were arrested during the serving of four search warrants in Davao Oriental on Friday.
At around 2:30 in the morning, simultaneous implementation of search warrants for violation of Sec. 11, RA 9165 issued by Hon. Judge Emilio G Dayanghirang III of RTC Branch 32, 11th Judicial Region, Lupon Dav Oriental.
Police authorities identified the suspects as Brgy. Chairman Erwin Barabag at Purok Mansanitas, Brgy Macangao, Lupon, Davao Oriental, Ruth Petiluna, Marjun Generale, Em-em Wenceslao; Baby Shane Palma all of the municipality Lupon, Davao Oriental.
Also arrested was PFC Rhean Baligwat, a member of the Philippine Army assigned at 67IB.
According to Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 11, Baligwat was not included in the the search warrant but was inside the house of the suspect at the time of the operation.
“Unexpectedly, during the raid inside the house, Baligwat was there. He was not identified immediately. Only when he was asked to identify himself we found out that he is a member of Philippine Army,” Morales said during the opening of Gaisano Citygate on Saturday.
These search warrants were only against Barabag, Ruth Petiluna, Marjun Generale, Em-em Wenceslao and Baby Shane Palma all from the municipality Lupon, Davao Oriental.
This joint operation was implemented by elements of Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) 11, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 11, Lupon Municipal Police Station and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11.
Morales said that Barabag is listed in President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s narco list categorized as level 2 High Value Target (HVT) for being a public official while Em-em Wenceslao, Marjun Generale are included in the Directorate for Intelligence list.
The subjects were arrested except Petiluna and Palma, who eluded arrest. A manhunt has been launched against them.
He said some barangay captains and barangay councilors have been subjected for intelligence monitoring.
Morales revealed that Barabag was the source of illegal drugs in Lupon. He said Barabag’s source of drugs is yet to be identified but that the tactical integration is still on-going.
He said police operations will be conducted against identified Lupon residents. .
They are also monitoring the areas of Davao Occidental and Davao Del Norte.
Recovered from the Barabag are one unit of .45 caliber gun with serial number 625897, inserted with magazine loaded with six live ammunition; two small sized and one elongated heats sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected as shabu. Recovered from Wenceslao’s house in Purok Claro, Brgy poblacion, Lupon, Davao Oriental, are four heat sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance of suspected shabu. Recovered from Baligwat are one fragmentation grenade, three caliber .45mm ammunition, three cal .9mm ammunition and assorted drug paraphernalia. Recovered from bunk house of Petiluna and Generale in Purok townsite, Barangay corporation, are four elongated transparent heat sealed plastic sachets containg methamphetamine hydrocloride believed to be shabu.
Recovered from Palma’s residence located in of Purok townsite, Barangay Poblacion are four elongated heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance of suspected to be shabu.
Pieces of evidence will be forwarded to Regional Crime Laboratory Office Davao Norte for forensic quantitative and qualitative examinations.
Suspects were brought to Lupon Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition and will be subjected for medical examination pending their temporary detention.
Cases in violation of the provisions of section 11 and 12 of RA 9165 otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10591 otherwise known as an Act providing for a Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition and providing penalties for violations thereof are being prepared for filing against the suspects before the Lupon Prosecutor’s office through inquest proceedings.
