Govt hospital worker caught in pot session

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — After the arrest of an ex-army allegedly peddling shabu in a buy-bust operation, authorities have arrested another government employee –– a regular personnel of Agusan del Norte Provincial Hospital.

Police arrested public hospital worker Silvestre Arsenal Bustillo, Jr, 48 while he was using shabu inside his home in Village 2, Barangay Libertad, this city.

Armed with Search Warrant issued by RTC Branch 4 Judge Godofredo Abul, Jr. for violation of Sections 6, 11, and 12 of Article II of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Act (RA 9165), operatives of the Butuan Central Police Office –– together with a representative from the Department of Justice and local media –– raided Bustillo’s house on Wednesday at about 10:30 am. Bustillo was caught in the act of using shabu and four sachets of the illegal drug worth at least P4,900.

Also seized from Bustillo were illegal drug paraphernalia.

Authorities said they turned over all confiscated items to this city’s Police Station 3 in Barangay Ambago for documentation and proper disposition.

Provincial hospital chief Dr. Elizabeth Acampado, in an interview with Gold Star Daily, confirmed that Bustillo is an employee of the hospital as an “institutional worker,” a regular government plantilla position.

Acampado also admitted they conduct only one drug test to their employees upon their hiring in the provincial hospital.

“No follow-up drug test then was made so far. Since this hospital is funded and managed by the provincial government of Agusan del Norte, our admin officer and I already brought the drug arrest of Bustillo to the legal office at the provincial capitol. They are busy until now that’s why I don’t know pa what regarding their legal action against Bustillo,” said Acampado.