Authorities arrested a member of the Philippine Army and a suspected drug dealer during a police buy-bust operation late Monday afternoon in Taguig City.
The main target of the police operation, 53-year-old Fernando Tiongson, who uses an alias Ando, was arrested along with his client Army Staff Sergeant Reynaldo Pulido, 43, assigned at 51st Engineering Brigade and resident of AC Aguinaldo Street, Salitran II, Dasmariñas, Cavite.
A composite team from the National Capital Region Police Office-Regional Drug Enforcement Unit and Special Operations Unit, Southern Police District-Drug Enforcement Unit, Taguig City Police Station-Drug Enforcement Unit, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the operation at Tiongson’s drug den along Balatan Extension, Sitio Matatag in Western Bicutan around 5 pm.
“Our operatives caught Pulido in the act of preparing drug paraphernalia during the operation,” said NCRPO chief Guillermo Eleazar.
Recovered from the suspects were 10 heat-sealed plastics containing shabu, marked money worth P7,000 and assorted paraphernalia used in sniffing the prohibited substance.
Eleazar commended his men and rest of the operating team for the recent accomplishment.
“This is just one of many successful anti-illegal drug operations we have, in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs. This accomplishment is also proof of our intensified cleanliness policy in the NCRPO,” said Eleazar.
The Metro Manila police chief added “this program is an effective instrument in cleaning up crimes in Metro Manila, thereby creating a secure environment where people feel safe to live, work and do business in.”
The suspects are now detained at the NCRPO headquarters in Taguig City and will be charged with violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Section 6 (Maintenance of a Den, Dive or Resort), Section 7 (Visitors of a Drug Den), Section 11 (Possession of Illegal Drugs) and Section 15 (Use of Dangerous Drugs) under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The arrested suspects were also brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory Office for drug test and laboratory examination.
Southern Police District operatives also recently arrested in Taguig City a police officer for his alleged involvement in drug dealing and other illegal activities.
SPD chief Eliseo Cruz said the suspect Staff Sergeant Nestor Santos, assigned at the mobile patrol unit of Taguig City Police Community Precinct – 2, was arrested inside his residence at 375 MLQ Street in Barangay Bagumbayan.
Cruz said his men from the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) arrested Santos based on a search warrant issued by Judge Leili Cruz Suarez, Executive Judge of Taguig City regional trial court branch 163.
The authorities recovered during the search a Colt cal. 45 pistol with one magazine and seven bullets, 12 pieces of small and big heat sealed sachets of shabu, a scissor, a lighter and 19 pieces of aluminum foils used in sniffing the prohibited substance.
Santos was the subject of various complaints for his alleged involvement in drug dealing.