DAVAO CITY – Just two months before he can be officially accepted as a member of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Police Officer 1 Querubin John Coyno Ferido was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Talomo police against illegal drugs on Thursday noon.
The 30-year-old Ferido, resident of Tagum City in Davao del Norte, was arrested after selling PHP3,000 worth of shabu to a police undercover just outside the Police Regional Office (PRO)-11 headquarters in Camp Catitipan, this city.
Ferido was still in his police trainee uniform while transacting with the police undercover from the Talomo police.
Talomo police operatives also confiscated from Ferido the buy-bust marked money, a Honda Xrm motorcycle with plate number 1775 LB with keys, 2 cellular phones, a PHP1,000 bill, PHP800 pesos in different denominations and PNP ID.
In a press briefing Friday afternoon at the Talomo Police Station, PRO-11 Director Marcelo Morales said Ferido was put under surveillance after one of the Talomo police detainees, who was sued for illegal drugs, pointed to him as the source of shabu.
Morales said Ferido is undergoing basic police training with a status of “on-leave without pay” at the time of his arrest.
Ferido was removed from the Regional Public Safety Training Center after he was found drinking liquor inside the camp in violation of the rules. He was transferred to the Regional Training Unit (RTU) but placed under the Regional Police Holding and Accounting Office (RPHAO).
Ferido would have joined other trainees who are scheduled to take oath by October and would have received a PHP50,000 salary with benefits as PO1.
As a trainee, Morales said Ferido was not receiving salary and allowance because he was not yet in full-duty status.
Morales said during the investigation, Ferido admitted he was a drug user and pusher before enrolling for the police training. When he applied for police, Ferido told probers he stopped using drugs for a time thus, tested negative of illegal drugs.
Ferido added that he was selling drugs to students during his college days.
“We will dig deeper to know the extent of his network and try to find out his associates,” Morales told reporters.
Morales said Ferido also disclosed the source of shabu that would be now be the subject of a follow-up operation.
He also directed Talomo Police Station commander, Chief Insp. Ronald Lao, to conduct a follow operation to arrest Ferido’s cohorts.
Morales added that he will also look into the associates of Ferido during the training to ensure no one was influenced or involved in his illegal drug activity.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-11 officer-in-charge, Bhen Joseph Tesiorna, said Ferido’s name is not on the list of PDEA because his operation was only street-level.
Ferido is now detained at the Talomo Police Station and will face charges of violation of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). (Lilian C. Mellejor and Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)
