Teacher nabbed for drugs in Quezon City

A public high school teacher was arrested during a drug buy bust on Sunday, after he sold P300 worth of shabu to an undercover police agent in Quezon City, according to a report by Cesar Apolinario on GMA's 24 Oras.

Ronaldo Ugto, 36, was caught in his Novaliches home in possession of eight sachets of shabu, three other unsealed sachets and foil with traces of the illegal drug, buy-bust money and shabu paraphernalia, the police said.

His two companions, Joshua Palileo, 19, and Eugene Clemente, 26, were also arrested.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Rossel Cejas, commander of Novaliches Police Station said that prior to the buy-bust sting they put Ugto under surveillance for a few days after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen about his alleged illegal drug transactions.

"Several complaints na yung narereceive natin dito sa bahay ng teacher na ito at ibat ibang mukha nga ang nakikita nila sa compound. Ang hinala nga nila na ginagamit na batatakan ang bahay. Na-validate nga natin na itong teacher mismo ang nagtutulak ng droga," Cejas said.

Chief of Station Drug Enforcement Unit and Intelligence branch, Police Captain Dennis Francisco revealed that both Palileo and Clemente were Ugto's former students who frequent his home to allegedly sniff shabu. 

Francisco said Ugto also sells drugs to his students.

”Yung mga validation na na-conduct sa kanya eh positive talaga na may mga estudyante na kumukuha sa kanya. Doon mismo sa bahay niya nag-aabutan, minsan sa kalye sa tapat nila," Francisco said.

He added, "At kung gusto mag-jam doon na rin gagamit sa bahay. Mismong si teacher pa ang nagsasalang ng droga para sa kasalukuyang estudyante niya at mga dati niyang estudyante."

The Department of Education said it would look into Ugto's case.

Ugto, Palileo and Clemente admitted to GMA News that they are only new in their drug activities.

The three suspects are now facing charges. —LDF, GMA News