Awol cop, four others fall in entrapment operations

By LITO RULONA,
Correspondent

A police officer who went absent without leave (Awol) was arrested during a buy-bust operation by the operatives of Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in one of the residential house in Barangay 35, Monday afternoon.

Police Insp. Johnny Agutaya, Cogon station police deputy chief identified the suspect as PO2 Vicente Jacinto, a resident of Baungon, Bukidnon.

He said they are now conducting a follow-up investigation if Jacinto was formerly detailed at Mahar-lika headquarters in baran-gay Carmen, this city.

Also arrested was Daniel Baja, 37, and resident of Barangay 35 and Jolito Coloma, 33-years old and resident of Barangay 17, this city.

Agutaya said the main target of the buy-bust operation who is identified as Elmer Llagas has managed to elude arrest after he spotted one of the police officer who posed as look-out during the buy-bust operation.

“Reported ni siya sa among confidential informant nga namaligya ni si Llagas diha sa barangay 35 mao nga amo dayun nga girespondihan. Gipalitan sa among decoy og P500 but unfortunately pag-abot sa balay nga didto namo napalitan naka-ambak si Llagas sa pikas balay,” he said.

Llagas left three other suspects who were caught in the act of re-packing several sachets of shabu. The suspect is known as among illegal drugs courier in the area.

Recovered from the possession of Jacinto were two sachets of shabu, while both Coloma and Baja has one sachet each and assorted drug paraphernalia.

“Dili ni drug den pero diri nila ginaepack ang droga nga ilang mapalit ayha na pud i-dispose og balik,” he said.

In other buy-bust operations, Carmen police station operatives also arrested two suspected drug pushers along Vamenta boulevard, Barangay Carmen, Monday afternoon.

Police identified the suspects as Jing Escalel “long hair” Ramirez, 40, and a resident Mutia St. Poblacion 2, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental and Noe Osabel, 38, and resident of Vamenta Boulevard, Barangay Carmen, this city. Recovered from their possession were several sachets of shabu and other drug paraphernalia.

Chief Insp. Gil Agpaoa, chief of Carmen Police Station said both were listed on their drug list of personalities.

The suspects were charged before the City Prosecutors Office (CPO) on Tuesday for violating Section 5 for selling, Section 12 for possession of drug paraphernalia, both under Republic Act 9165.