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By JOEY NACALABAN
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents .

POLICE caught a “volunteer reporter” of the FM station Marian Radyo Bandera suspected of involvement in the local drug trade during an operation on Sunday.

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The suspect, identified as 29-year old Lodymer Jagos, of Zone 2, Barangay Tagpangi, this city, was arrested with seven sachets of suspected shabu at around 9 pm Sunday in Dagong, Zayas St., in Barangay Carmen.

Police said they seized from Jagos, a reporter who also serves as anchorman of Marian Radyo Bandera 103.9 News FM,  P500 in marked money.

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) here said Jagos has no KBP accredition although the radio station is with the KBP. He said the suspect was a non-employee of the radio station and he merely served as a “volunteer reporter” and host of a radio program.

According to the KBP, the radio station’s manager, Allan Jamin, said Jagos was a taxi driver who volunteered to be a reporter and that he admitted that they accepted him without doing a background check on the suspect.

The relatively new radio station, also known as DxBC-Birhen sa Cota, is owned by a group of Roman Catholic priests, according to Tito Monterde, head of the local chapter of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas.

Monterde said he talked with the radio station’s chairman, Fr. Julian Retiques of the Macabalan parish, and the priest expressed shock.

The media company’s board includes Roman Catholic priests Rey Monsanto, Elmer Abacahin, Persius Cabonoc, and Tex Legitimas, among others.

The Cagayan de Oro Press Club said Jagos is not a member of the city’s premier news media organization.

“The COPC condemns any illegal act perpetrated by members of the press. As purveyors of truth, justice, and peace, we, the media community of Cagayan de Oro, strictly adheres to what is right and just in the exercise of our profession as members of the press,” said COPC president Ruffy Magbanua.

SPO2 Allen Tamayo of the Lumbia police said officers’ have targeted Jagos for arrest because there was information that he had something to do with illegal drug deals in Dagong.

The suspect denied the accusations. He said the sachets belonged to his companion who ran off before the police pounded on him.

Jagos was brought to the Lumbia police precinct for detention while police prepare to press charges against him.

Police said the suspect could spend in the cell during the entire Holy Week, and he could be behind bars longer. Based on the law, the selling illegal drugs is a non-bailable offense.

Meanwhile, the town councilor arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Saturday accused narcotics agents of planting evidence against him.

Balingoan, Misamis Oriental councilor Roel Padillo, 42, of Zone 3, Mantinggale, Balongoan was arrested when the PDEA served a search warrant issued by Judge Giovanne Navarro of Gingoog City.

A PDEA agent known for his nom de guerre “Ben Calibre” said law enforcers seized 14 sachets of suspected shabu when they raided Padillo’s house. He said the sachets were on a drawer inside the suspect’s room.

But Padillo strongly denied that the sachets were his, saying these were planted evidence.

Padillo’s son said his father was an innocent man even as he rejected the PDEA claim that there were sachets of shabu on the drawer. He said it was unlikely because his mother had cleaned the room just before the raid.

Senior Insp. Noel Gabriel, Balingoan police chief, said Padillo was not in the deug watchlist of the town police or the Barangay Drug Abuse Council.

Gabriel however said his predecessor once asked Padillo to come to his office in relation to the police’s “Toktok-Hangyo” campaign.

“Didto sa opisina gi-deny ni Padillo nga ga involved siya sa illegal drugs. Gani wala niya pirmahi kadtong papel nga papirmahan sa iya kay wala gyud siya namaligya o gagamit sa druga,” Gabriel said.

Calibre however said the PDEA has received information about Padillo’s alleged drug trade involvement.

“Mao tong mihimo dayon mi og masubsub nga pakisusi pinaagi sa paghimo og mga surveilance hangtud nga nakakuha gyud mi og ebedensya,” Calibre said.

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