Teacher-pusher nabbed; cops kill 2 drug suspects

By Liezle Basa Iñigo and Franco G. Regala

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan — A public school teacher, exposed by police as an alleged drug pusher, was arrested in Ilocos Norte as police in Pangasinan collared eight more in this city while two other armed drug suspects were slain in a separate police operation in Bulacan Tuesday.

In Ilocos Norte, Jemdefen Luis, aliases “Kwatog” and “Mistro,” 39, a teacher at Pasiocan Elementary School in Bacarra town, was nabbed at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Sitio Pandan, Barangay 55-A Barit, Laoag City.

Based on a search warrant issued by Judge Philip Salvador of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 13 in Laoag City, Luis’ residence was searched and eight small sachets of suspected shabu, and a plastic sachet of marijuana and bullets were found, said Supt. Edwin Balles, the city police chief.

In Pangasinan, Supt. Neil Miro, Dagupan City police chief, said eight people allegedly involved in selling shabu in three barangays were arrested in a 24-hour operation that resulted in the seizure of 25 sachets of shabu.

Meanwhile in Bulacan, a buy-bust operation staged at 3 a.m. in Barangay Caysio, Sta. Maria town went out of hand and ended in a shootout with suspects Marvin Lester Bantoto, alias “Nuno Puto,” and Carl Ivan Pingol, alias “Patay,” both on the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council watchlist.

The duo was supposed to be arrested after a drug purchase was consummated, but the two allegedly pulled out their guns and shot at police. The suspects were killed in the shootout.

Police collected at the scene nine sachets of shabu, including the buy-bust item weighing 2.7 grams, with a total street value of P13,500; a shotgun; a .22-caliber revolver; live ammunition; and drug paraphernalia.