AWOL cop, 9 others nabbed in Bacolod drug bust

Operatives of the Bacolod City Drug Enforcement Unit seize PHP360,000 worth of “shabu” from four suspects, including an AWOL policeman, at Purok Chereza 2, Barangay 27 Saturday evening. (Photo courtesy of Bacolod City Police Office)

BACOLOD CITY — A policeman who is on absence without official leave (AWOL), and nine others were arrested in a series of buy-bust operations conducted by anti-drug units of Bacolod City Police Office over the weekend.

The Bacolod police identified the arrested policemen as PO1 Cesar Caras, 39, resident of City Ville, Barangay Estefania, this city.

Around 6 p.m. Saturday, Caras was arrested with three others, including common law partners Allen John Garote, 31, and Jessa Liza, 28, and Ernesto Samson, 30, in an operation conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) in Purok Chereza 2, Barangay 27.

Operatives led by Insp. Adrian James Albaytar confiscated about 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” worth PHP360,000 from the four suspects.

According to police report, Garote and Liza were arrested after they conspired to sell PHP1,000 worth of “shabu” to a poseur-buyer. Liza yielded a black coin purse containing two elongated and two big sachets of suspected “shabu” while Garote was found in possession of one big sachet containing the same illegal substance and PHP1,000 marked money.

Caras and Samson were nabbed in the house where the couple conducted the illegal drug transaction. Seized from Caras’ possession was a brown coin purse containing two big sachets of “shabu” while three sachets of the similar prohibited drug were confiscated from Samson.

Meanwhile, six others were arrested in five separate buy-bust operations, which yielded PHP60,500 worth of suspected “shabu,” conducted by various Bacolod police stations on Friday.

Arrested were Michael Lozada, 28, of Purok Rosas Pandan, Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago; Reinze June Tiongco, 19, of Purok Kaingin, Barangay Punta Taytay; Rolando Omarementeria, 25, of Purok Kawayanan 1, Barangay Handumanan; Ramon Magbanua, 34, and common law wife Rachel Marie Sarosa, 29, both of Purok Mainuswagon, Barangay 30; and Reynaldo Miranda, 42, of Purok Fire, Barangay 8.

Lozada also yielded a homemade caliber .22 revolver with two live ammunition, the police report said. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)

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