A POLICEMAN and two civilians were arrested in a sting operation at Zone 6, Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, over the weekend, March 31.
Nabbed were Police Officer 2 (PO2) Buenaventura Reyes Jr. and the two civilians Julius Narvasa, a resident of Quezon, Bukidnon, and one Ian Torres, the main target of the drug bust in the supposed "drug den" of said village.
Operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) seized four sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth around P3,000 and drug paraphernalia during the operation.
Authorities said Reyes was caught while having a pot session inside the house where the target ran after sensing that they are transacting with anti-drug operatives.
CDEU chief Senior Inspector Maricris Mulat said they already noticed a PNP-marked motorcycle near the "drug den." They were surprised upon seeing their fellow cop inside the house.
Reyes was still wearing the lower police uniform and white inner shirt when apprehended.
He was previously assigned as an intelligence operative of Police Station 3 in Agora but was recently detailed as a member of the station's Mobile Police Unit (MPU) tasked to conduct police visibility.
Mulat said their target had been supplying crystal meth using his house as the drug den for both government employees and civilian customers.
She said the neighborhood allegedly saw three members of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) visiting the house last week.
"Public knowledge sa mga silingan nga gabaligya na ang target ug gawas sulod diha ang mga tawo naay mga government workers ug civilian (It has been known in the neighborhood that the suspects are selling drugs and that people are coming in and out inside the house which includes government workers and civilians)," Mulat said.
Mulat added they noticed the civilian suspects threw a pouch somewhere and it contained more prohibited drugs, but they lost sight of the pouch after the operation.
The two civilian drug personalities will have to face charges for selling and possessing illegal drugs, while the policeman will be charged with using prohibited drugs, including an administrative case.
Cocpo spokesperson Superintendent Mardy Hortillosa II said Reyes had been taking part in the regular surprise drug test conducted by the Cocpo headquarters but always yielded negative results.
"Wala pud ta kabalo nga basin karon lang siya ga-droga bag-o (We don't even know yet if he is a new user)," Hortillosa said.
He said Cocpo, under the leadership of newly installed city police director Senior Superintendent Nelson Aganon, will never condone and tolerate police personnel involved in the illegal drug activities.
The city police office repeatedly warns its personnel not to engage in illegal drug activities and continuously urge the public to report policemen who take part in unlawful activities.
"The full arms of the law will be implemented to the newly arrested member of Cocpo and an administrative case will be filed to see to it that the said policeman cannot escape as part of our strong internal cleansing campaign," Cocpo said in a statement.
