By JINKY LOU TABOR
LAMITAN CITY, Basilan – Perceived as “untouchable” because of his alleged connections, a second-term barangay chairman was arrested yesterday morning at his home after selling one sachet of suspected shabu worth R18,000 to a poseur buyer.
Adzhar “Ombok” Macrohon, who ran unopposed as leader of Barangay Bato last May, was made to lie down before being handcuffed by arresting officers after allegedly receiving the marked money.
Some 50 heavily-armed operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Armed Forces (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) stormed the house at 5:30 a.m. and seized six more packs of the illegal drugs worth R100,000, an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol, bladed weapons, several M16 magazines and a brand new grenade.
Aside from the suspect’s common-law wife Nuraida Sansawi and two children, there was no other person in the house during the operation.
Asked about the missing M16 rifle, Sansawi told operatives that it had been pawned to cover their family expenses.
The M16 rifle was later traced to a neighbor during follow-up operation later in the day.
Most of the barangay residents were fast asleep following a day-long fiesta celebration, making it easy for operatives to approach the suspect’s house undetected.
A tearful Macrohon denied that he is a supaplier of illegal drugs but admitted ownership of the ammunitions, including the grenade which he said he bought from a soldier’s cousin for R3,500 pesos.
Macrohon, who first became barangay chairman in 2010, is listed No. 1 in the narco-politician list in the city.
A drug surrenderer, Macrohon snubbed the drug testing activity for all May 14 poll winners conducted by the DILG, PNP under the supervision of PDEA.
He has refused to undergo drug testing.
In an exclusive interview, PDEA provincial officer Jigger Juniller said that Macrohon is dropping the names of PDEA and DILG in his transactions to assure clients that they are being protected.
“Nobody wants to file a complaint against him because, allegedly, he killed those who have attempted and threatened to kill those who are going to do so,” Juniller said. “Everybody in the barangay knows his illegal drugs activities and accordingly, Macrohon is said to be bragging about not being arrested because of his supposed connection to the authorities.”
DILG provincial director Abou Asmawil said Macrohon’s continued refusal to submit himself to a drug test is a manifestation that he is involved in illegal drug activities. He said he will recommend filing an administrative case against Macrohon for non-compliance of mandated order from the DILG.
Prior to his election in 2010, Macrohon was allegedly involved in shooting incidents at Oval Public Market and Lamitan Central Elementary School, all in this city. The cases, however, were amicably settled.
There were other shooting incidents allegedly linked to Macrohon, but were not reported to police.
Macrohon is allegedly one of the biggest suppliers of illegal drugs in Barangays Boton and Languyan in Mohamad Ajul municipality, an area in Basilan province known to be protected allegedly by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Aside from the drug cases, charges of illegal possession of deadly weapons (bladed), firearms, ammunitions and explosives will be filed against Macrohon.
