Ex-Lapu CH workers fall in buy-bust

Two Lapu-Lapu City Hall employees and three other drug personalities were arrested in simultaneous buy-busts in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City last Tuesday night.

Suspects Roberto Gomez, 47, and his 42-year-old cousin, Gallego Gomez, were identified as high value targets by the Mandaue Police Station (MPS) 5.

MPS 5 first arrested Edilberto Lumontad, 48, and Gallego in Felicitas Village in Looc at 6:15 p.m.

According to the information of the MPS 5, Gallego is “presently employed in the City Government of Lapu-Lapu as special agent 1 of the City Administrator’s Office.”

But according to the mayor, their contract with City Hall expired last June 30.

Police Insp. Armil Coloscos of MPS 5 said two sachets of white substance believed to be shabu and drug paraphernalia were seized from the two suspects.

Two hours later, Roberto; Philip Noval, 35; and Angelo Flores, 22, were also arrested in Sitio Baybayon in the same barangay after Roberto sold a sachet of shabu to a police decoy.

They yielded five sachets of suspected shabu and drug parephernalia.

Police initially identified Roberto as an administrative aid of the Association of Barangay Councils office in Lapu-Lapu.

In an interview, Lapu-Lapu Mayor Paz Radaza said the two suspects, who used to work under the office of the late Councilor Damian Gomez, have not been connected with City Hall since their contract ended last June 30.

Roberto was a casual employee while Gallego held a coterminous position. The mayor said their contracts were not renewed. “They are definitely no longer connected with City Hall,” she said. /