Manticao’s village chief busted for drugs

AUTHORITIES have arrested an incumbent village chief and another town employee in separate anti-illegal drug operations in Misamis Oriental, early Sunday, February 25.

Police identified the drug suspects as Johnny Denque, 39, and village chief of Camanga, Manticao town; and Frederick Sabella, 46, driver of the agriculture office of the local government unit of Naawan.

Operatives also implement a search warrant against Denque for possession of prohibited drugs.

Seized from Denque’s possession were two sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, known as shabu, drug paraphernalia, and a rifle grenade.

On the other hand, confiscated from Sabella were seven sachets of suspected crystal meth.

Police considered them high value targets (HVT) since they work in the government and they have long been monitored by the authorities.

Senior Inspector Corinne Mae Estigoy, spokesperson of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office (MisOr-PPO), said Denque was also listed number four in the provincial-wide target list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Northern Mindanao (PDEA-10).

“Galisod sila og kuha sa iyaha kay dili siya gabaligya kung dili niya suki. Nag buy bust una then gi-serve ang search warrant ug didto pud nakuha ang rifle grenade, ”Estigoy said.

Estigoy said Denque’s drug network includes hinterland communities of the nearby town Lugait.

She said the village chief sells the drug item in the amount of P500 and above.

“Didto na iyang suki sa bukid nga part sa Lugait ug pinakaubos niya nga baligya sa droga is P500,” Estigoy said.

Meanwhile, Estigoy said Sabella gets drug supply in Iligan City and disposes the items in two villages in Naawan.

She said the two suspects were not connected based on the link diagram of their drug network.

The two will face charges for selling illegal drugs. Denque will also be charged with illegal possession of explosive.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Destura, provincial director of MisOr-PPO, said the unwavering efforts of the operating teams to eradicate all forms of illegal drug activities is laudable.

This as he even urged all town

police and police units in the province to continue the campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and all forms of illegal activities. ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Sanlakas and Partido Lakas ng Masa.

They denounced the proposed Charter change and called for an end to extrajudicial killings in relation to the government’s war on drugs. (Third Anne PeraltaMalonzo/SunStar Philippines)