Municipal employee, cop fall in Pangasinan anti-drug operations

A municipal employee and a policeman were arrested in separate anti-drug operations in Pangasinan province, a television report said Tuesday.

 

In Agno town, municipal employee Reynald Medrano Sr. was caught buying drugs from the house of suspected pusher Rene Batara, GMA Dagupan's CJ Torida reported on GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon."
 

Both were arrested by police who were serving a search warrant on Batara's house. Seized from Batara's custody were nine sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

 

"Isa po siyang drug personality rito sa bayan ng Agno. So yun naghanap tayo ng, makakakuha tayo ng search warrant para ma-operate natin itong taong ito," said Agno police chief Senior Inspector Leonard Zacarias, referring to Batara.

 

Meanwhile, authorities seized from Medrano was a sachet of shabu.

 

Both arrested men declined to comment.

 

Meanwhile, in Bayambang town in Pangasinan, a policeman - PO1 Sander Claveria - was arrested in a sting operation in Barangay Tambac.

 

Seized from Claveria were a sachet of shabu, mobile phones, and marked money. Claveria declined to comment.

 

"Ito po ay nagpapatunay na hindi natin tino-tolerate ang ganitong mga sitwasyon. Kahit pa man kasama natin na kapulisan na mali ang ginagawa sa serbisyo, tayo po ay mag-i-implement ng ganitong operasyon para lang malinisan ang hanay ng kapulisan dito sa Pangasinan," said Superintendent Gaston Cafongtan, head of the Bayambang police.

 

In a separate operation, meanwhile, one Manuel Distor was arrested in a sting operation in Pozorrubio in Pangasinan.

 

Distor was caught with three sachets of shabu. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News