Government law enforcement units conducted a buy-bust against a local drug syndicate operating in Maguindanao and nearby areas, resulting in the arrest of three suspects who turned out to be policemen.
The three, including the deputy chief of police of Marantao town in Lanao del Sur, were arrested in Parang town of Maguindanao.
Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos, director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) regional police, said that the policemen used various aliases to conceal their identities.
He identified them as Police Executive Master Sergeant Monger Nasar Aradias, the deputy chief of police of Marantao town, 47; Police Staff Sergeant Fahmil Bangon Como, 39; and, Patrolman Sandali Magundacan Manalao, 35.
“I have already relieved the chief of police of Marantao Municipal Police Station for failure to properly supervise his personnel,” said Marcos.
The relieved officer was Sainodin Benasing.
Capt. Jemar delos Santos, BARMM regional police spokesman, said that one of the arrested suspect appeared to be using the alias Daud Imam, the alleged leader of the group and subject of the buy-bust.
He said the operation stemmed from an intelligence report about the operation of Daud Islam.
During the buy-bust, combined operatives of the police, military and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) announced the arrest, prompting the cops to surrender.
Delos Santos said the suspects were arrested while inside a Red Innova with no license plate. The cops were in civilian clothes and it was only during the inventory of seized items that they were identified as policemen.
Seized from them were a big plastic sachet of suspected shabu weighing more or less 50 grams. Also confiscated were a long firearm and three short handguns.
Marcos said investigation is still being conducted to identify the source of drug supply of the suspects. But he said part of the probe is to determine if the three cops are involved in recycling of confiscated shabu.
Allegations of drug recycling have been hounding the Philippine National Police in the past months, triggered by the alleged involvement of then PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde when he was still the provincial director of Pampanga. (Aaron Recuenco)
