A 42-year-old barangay tanod was arrested by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during a buy-bust operation in Negros Oriental on Friday, May 11, 2012.
“The suspect, a barangay police volunteer [watchman] of Barangay 8, Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, was apprehended in his own neighborhood along Legaspi Street,” PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. said, referring to Paterno V. Ybañez Jr., alias Tamiat, a target-listed drug personality who has been under surveillance by PDEA agents for some time now for his illegal activity in Negros Oriental.
Anti-drug agents of PDEA Regional Office 7 (PDEA RO7) arrested Ybañez in a densely populated area after he sold a plastic sachet containing shabu to an undercover agent who posed as buyer. When frisked by the arresting officers, Ybañez yielded another sachet of shabu.
Based on initial investigation, Ybañez peddles shabu to his constituents and college students of a nearby university in Legaspi street.
Ybañez faces charges for selling and possession of dangerous drugs in violation of Section 5 and Section 11, respectively, under Article II, of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, before the Tanjay City’s Prosecutor’s Office. He is temporarily detained at the Dumaguete Police Station jail facility.
“All barangay captains must be extremely careful in deputizing individuals as members of barangay security force. The community is grateful to people who go out of their way to help maintain peace and order in the barangay,” Gutierrez said. “But they should not use their position to engage in illegal activities like drug-pushing.”
Last week, four pushers were also arrested by operatives of PDEA Regional Office 5 (PDEA RO5) in separate entrapment operations in Daraga, Albay and Naga City in Bicol. Evangeline DJ Almenario, Chief, Public Information Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
