LTO traffic enforcer caught selling shabu in Baguio City

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — A Land Transportation Office-Cordillera (LTO-CAR) traffic enforcer was caught selling shabu to anti-narcotics agents at around 10:30 a.m. Friday here, ending the 24-hour long surveillance on him since his first drug arrest on Jan. 31, 2017.

Land Transportation Office-Cordillera traffic enforcer Ginno Manolo Castillo Banta, 30, who was wearing his uniform, sold 2 grams of shabu worth P13,000.00 to an undercover anti-narcotics agent along Suello Village, Sto. Tomas Proper in Baguio City.

When searched, Banta was found with another .5 gram of shabu in a plastic sachet, a black metal case containing used aluminum foils and a glass pipe, said Intelligence Agent 1 Rainier Tinong, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Baguio City Officer said.

LTO-CAR Director Francis Almora admitted Banta is a ”job order” driver since November 2019 “through the recommendation of his parole officer to be able to reform” but said that his arrest was not related to his job at LTO.  

The official also said that the PDEA had been coordinating with the LTO regarding his case.

“He lost his chance to reform,” Almora said.

PDEA had been on hot trail for Banta, Intelligence Agent 1 Tinong said, pointing out that the traffic enforcer has been using his law enforcement deputation as cover for his drug trade.

PDEA Baguio City said Banta is a “lieutenant” of big-time drug lords Federico Oliveros, who was caught last June and half Filipino-Somalian Abdul Abdullah, who surrendered to the Baguio City police mid-July.