An incumbent barangay captain of Sangi, Toledo City in Cebu was arrested by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of more than P400,000 worth of shabu.
PDEA 7 Chief Yogi Filemon Ruiz said barangay chief Eduardo Bacalso, was a high-value drug personality of PDEA and the top high-value target of Toledo City Police Office.
Bacalso denied the allegations by claiming he was never involved in drugs although he admitted owning the .38 revolver seized during the operation.
However, Ruiz said Bacalso has been under surveillance for the past two years but eluded arrests because of his on-and-off drug dealings.
An intelligence report said the suspect is a pusher capable of producing a kilo of shabu per week.
Bacalso also faced a murder case, but was dismissed. He served two terms as councilor in Barangay Sangi before becoming the village chief.
Meantime the Cebu Provincial Police Office said they have arrested 2,522 persons, 1,447 of them drug pushers, 921 pushers, three marijuana planters and 151 wanted persons for the entire 2016.
The operations also resulted to the confiscation of 7,497.34 grams of shabu and 68,188 marijuana plants.
(MARS W. MOSQUEDA, JR.)
