CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The government’s no-nonsense drive against illegal drugs has taken an initial step in its battle against local government personalities.
Joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the police arrested a former lady mayor and her husband who is said to be an active member of the army Saturday night in Barangay Kauswagan here.
Armed with a search warrant issued by the Office of the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Misamis Oriental, authorities raided the residence of Johaira Abinal, alias ‘Mayora Marimar” and confiscated an estimated 200 grams of shabu and a .45 caliber Remington pistol along with his spouse identified as Major Suharto Tambidan Macabuat.
The operation saw the discovery and confiscation of 200 grams of shabu and a .45 caliber Remington pistol.
Abinal is said to be a former mayor of Maguing town in Lanao del Sur while Macabuat is assigned with the Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group of the Philippine Army (HHSG-PA) in Fort Bonifacio.
Also arrested was Macabuat’s nephew identified as Sanny Santican.
PDEA 10 Regional Director Adrian G. Alvarino said Abinal heads the dreaded Abinal Group which is reportedly supplying illegal drugs in Regions 10, 11, 12, Caraga, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and even in Metro Manila.
Recently, president Duterte revealed that they have identified mayors who are involved in illegal drugs and even mentioned that one of them is a woman.
Alvarino hinted that the lady mayor Duterte may be alluding to could be Abinal. (CAMCER IMAM)