Acquitted drug suspect caught pushing drugs in Baguio

MANILA, Philippines - Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested a 43-year-old man, recently acquitted for drug pushing, during a buy-bust operation in Baguio City.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. identified the suspect as William Lina Ibarra of Middle Quezon Hill, Baguio City.

Ibarra is the top priority target-listed drug personality of the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).

Reports showed that last December 8, at around 8 p.m., elements of PDEA Regional Office-CAR (PDEA RO-CAR) arrested Ibarra after he sold a plastic sachet of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, to a poseur-buyer in Happy Glen Loop, Barangay Salud Mitra, Baguio City.

When frisked, Ibarra yielded seven more sachets of shabu weighing 19.09 grams, various drug paraphernalia, a portable weighing scale, a mobile phone, a Nissan Exalta being used for his illegal drug trade and the buy-bust money used during the operation.

Ibarra was also tested positive for the use of shabu during the initial drug examination.

"He (Ibarra) was previously arrested on June 15, 2009 by PDEA RO-CAR agents but the case was dismissed a year later. He was again apprehended on March 2, 2011 by local police that resulted to an acquittal on June 3, 2014," Cacdac said.

The suspect is now detained at the PDEA RO-CAR jail facility.

Cases for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Section 12 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia) and Section 15 (Use of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, are being readied for filing in court against him.