By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
AUTHORITIES yesterday arrested the head of the Department of Agrarian Reform’s legal office in Misamis Oriental and seized a supply of suspected shabu during a raid carried out at RER Subdivision in Barangay Kauswagan in this city.
Chief Insp. Ariel Philip Pontillas, chief for intelligence operations of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, identified the suspect as lawyer Mario Pielago of Phase 1, RER Subdivision.
Authorities claimed that they seized three large sachets of suspected shabu during the raid staged by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the police.
Pontillas said the operation was based on a search warrant issued by Judge Mirabeaus Ondalok of the 43rd branch of the Regional Trial Court in Gingoog City.
Pontillas alleged that the 53-year old lawyer was caught in the act of using suspected illegal drugs when law enforcers carried out the raid at around 10:40 am.
The lawyer was reportedly alone when the raid was conducted by the joint PDEA and police team.
Authorities estimated the street value of the confiscated sachets of suspected shabu to be at least P150 thousand.
Aside from the sachets, law enforcers also confiscated suspected drug paraphernalia allegedly used by the suspect.
Pielago was brought to the PDEA office here where he would be held pending the filing of charges.
Red Bajao, PDEA spokesperson for Region 10, said Pielago would be charged with illegal possession of prohibited drugs and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.
Pielago could not be reached for comment at presstime. This paper went to the PDEA office to get the lawyer’s comment but Bajao said the suspect was not yet available for an interview because the documentation process was still ongoing.
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