POLICE yesterday arrested a weather monitoring officer of the capitol’s disaster risk reduction management office in an entrapment in Barangay 32, this city.
Chief Insp. Gilbert Rollen identified the suspect as Virgil Lago, 47, of Xavier Heights, Upper Balulang, this city.
Rollen said the composite team composed of members of the City Drug Enforcement Unit of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and led by Senior Insp. Teodoro de Oro, arrested Lago during a shabu session inside an inn at around 10:50 am.
Lago was subjected to weeks surveillance prior to his arrest, according to Rollen.
Police seized from Lago a sachet of suspected shabu, an unsealed sachet containing traces of suspected shabu, assorted aluminum foils, and personal effects.
Authorities called Lago a “high-value target.”
“Basta naa sa government considered gyud nga high-value target,” Rollen said.
Lago was brought to the Cocpo’s Maharlika headquarters in Barangay Carmen for detention pending the filing of charges.
Before joining the capitol, Lago worked at city hall’s risk reduction management office.
In an e-mailed statement, Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said he was saddened over the capitol employee’s arrest, saying “the law shall prevail.”
Emano said he would be intolerant of “such irresponsible and unwelcome act” by any capitol employee but added that the suspect “is still innocent until proven guilty, deserves respect and understanding right now.”
Emano reiterated his support for President Duterte’s war on drugs “but each and every suspect like Virgil Lago deserves his right to defend himself in court.”
He added: “Let justice bring him in or out of this mess. But the law must prevail.”
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