POLICE ROUNDUP

 P300K worth marijuana leaves seized in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – More than P300,000 worth of harvested marijuana leaves from Kibungan town in Benguet  that were supposed to be delivered to various lowland areas  were seized Monday afternoon in San Gabriel town in La Union.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 1 agents busted Mario Tad-o and Romeo Tukiad, both residents of hinterland Santol town (La Union),  as the suspects reportedly sold eight marijuana bricks to the PDEA agents in barangay Lipay Norte, San Gabriel town, also in La Union.

The haul reached P337,500 , said Bismark Bengwayan, spokesperson of the PDEA-Region 1.

Authorities also seized a caliber .38 from the duo including the cellular phone used in the transaction.

The suspects said they were only asked to transport the marijuana bricks for a sum of money.

Authorities will be filing charges against the duo. If found guilty, the suspects will face a lifetime prison term as well as  fine between P500,000 and P10 million as provided under  Section 5 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

3 students killed in Isabela road  mishap

NAGUILLAN, Isabela -- Three students of the Isabela State University died when the motorcycle they were riding collided with a delivery truck along the national highway here in Barangay Magsaysay Wednesday morning.

Police identified the fatalities as George Cadulot, 20; Bartolome Flores, 18; and Johnny Medina Jr., 18.

Edison Solis, driver of the truck, said the victims were speeding and overtook another vehicle before it collided with the truck. – Charlie Lagasca

6 ‘PAG members’ nabbed in Ilocos

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- Police arrested six suspected members of private armed groups (PAGs) in simultaneous raids conducted in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur on Wednesday.

Chief Supt. Ricardo Marquez, Ilocos regional director, identified the arrested suspects as Jar-ar Pambid, Ronnie Icalla, Hanley Ines, Felicito Revilla, Jessie Ermitanio and Joey Sia.

Marquez said a team that raided the houses of Pambid and Icalla in Badoc, Ilocos Norte seized two grenades, a .22 revolver and several live ammunitions and empty shells for short firearms such as .45 pistol, .38 revolver, 9mm and .357 revolver.

Police seized a .45 pistol with six live bullets in the raid conducted on Ines' house in BArangayTeppeng, Sinait, Ilocos Sur.

Seized from the house of Revilla in Nueva Era town in Ilocos Norte, were one Uzi, a .38 revolver and a shotgun with several rounds of ammunition.

The raid at Ermitanio's house, meanwhile, yielded .45 pistol, a baby Armalite, a .22 revolver and several ammunition and magazines for different firearms.

Seized from Sia were one hand grenade and an unregistered Black Honda motorcycle.

Marquez said that the suspects, along with the seized firearms and ammunition, have been brought to Camp Juan in Laoag City and in Camp President Quirino in Ilocos Sur.

Charges for violation of illegal possession of firearms and the election gun ban are being prepared against the suspects.

Cop arrest gun ban violators

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet - Police arrested a gun-wielding farmer in Kalinga and seized three firearms in Abra and Benguet recently in connection with the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections.

In the afternoon of March 4, personnel of Tabuk City Police Station arrested SerdanNatividad, Santilan, 40, of Burobor, Bulo, Tabuk City, Kalinga for violation of gun ban.

Santillan who was found in possession of an improvised cal. 22 rifle without ammunition, was arrested in Tabuk City.

In a related development, Ronie Jose Duque, 48, farmer, and resident of Okiang, Cabaroan, Dolores, Abra voluntarily surrendered a cal. 22 air gun rifle to Dolores police headed by Insp. Ricky Dalingay Danguioan on March 5.

On same day, barangay chief Benny Tuscano of Abualan, San Juan, Abra surrendered a Cal..38 pistol without ammunition to San Juan police headed by Senior Insp. Roldan H. Dolipas.

In Benguet on March 7 at Mangi, Bayabas, Sablan, a Cal. 22 rifle was surrendered by Arthur Pagnas to police.

The confiscated and surrendered firearms are now under the custody of the respective police stations while a case is being filed against Santillan.

Chief Supt. Benjamin B. Magalong, regional police director said aside from private armed groups, loose firearms are one of the factors that may affect the 2013 Elections, thus, the intensified campaign to lessen  proliferation of unlicensed firearms that could be used to disrupt the conduct of peaceful elections.

All provincial directors and chiefs of police were ordered to account for all registered and unregistered gun owners and strictly intensify OplanBakal/ImplanSita operations.

Ilocos ‘drug pusher’ arrested in buy-bust

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan- One of the alleged dreaded drug pushers here was arrested in the middle of the night of March 5 at the Rizal Extension Barangay Pogo Chico.

Efren Caramat also known as Pakoy, was well known in their neighborhood as a shabu peddler targeting out of school youths and fears no one as he is allegedly protected by influential people, said a PDRA press statement.

 Several complaints from concerned residents reportedly prompted law enforcement units led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1  to launch intelligence gathering against Pakoy until his eventual arrest through a buy-bust operation.

PDEA agents confiscated about two grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, known as shabu with an estimated street value of P12,000 along with the marked money used in the transaction and the motorcycle used to deliver the illegal drugs.

 PDEA regional director Jeoffrey C. Tacio said Pakoy is now facing cases for illegal drugs.

Shabu pusher wounded in shootout with agents

DAGUPAN CITY  -- Deafening gunshots woke the sleeping residents of Mayombo District here when an alleged illegal drug pusher fired several shots at covert  agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1of dawn of March 6.

 The suspect was identified as Ibrahim Ampuan also known as Itlog Ampuan under the watchlist of law enforcers.

A PDEA report said Ampuan agreed to meet with a PDEA agent who posed as buyer in Mayombo District.

After receiving the money and handing out two plastic sachets of shabu he noticed several men running towards him prompting him to fire at them.

This made agents fire back while Ampuan immediately jumped on his motorcycle for a quick getaway.

 Agents were unable to follow and trace Ampuan but immediately coordinated with local medical centers and hospitals in Dagupan City.

He was later found in Pangasinan Medical Center recuperating as the diligent hospital staff reported his admission due to a bullet wound.   

PDEA regional director Jeoffrey C. Tacio said Ampuan was earlier arrested in a raid by law enforcers at a drug den in Bonuan Binloc, Daguapn City. 

“He was released due to several technicalities but his later caper would assure his remaining days in prison,”  Tacio said.