Ex-PDEA exec tagged in drug deals surrenders  

MANILA, Philippines —  A former official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) implicated by former president Rodrigo Duterte in the illegal drug trade surrendered in Leyte yesterday.

Erwin Ogario, former head of the PDEA office in Metro Manila, turned himself in to Eastern Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil at the Eastern Visayas police headquarters in Barangay Campetic in Palo.

Marbil handcuffed Ogario after reading the arrest warrant for illegal drugs.

Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 227 Judge Elvira Panganiban issued the warrant in January 2019.

Bail was set at P200,000.

Ogario was held liable for obstruction of justice after he allegedly facilitated the release of a drug suspect who received a parcel containing 1,358 pieces of Ecstasy tablets on June 29, 2015.

He was dismissed from the service in 2017.

Marbil said Ogario decided to surrender because he believes he would get a fair trial under the Marcos administration.

“As to whether there is legal impediment in making public Ogario’s submission or surrender, whichever is applicable, under the circumstances, there is none as this is more of a trust and confidence issue in our system and leadership than a legal one,” Marbil said in a statement.

He said Ogario’s decision to surrender to the Eastern Visayas police is a manifestation of the former PDEA official’s trust in them.

Ogario was PDEA director in Caraga in 2013 when Marbil was head of the Agusan del Norte police.

“This is a validation that we are eventually regaining our people’s trust and confidence in our law enforcement and judicial systems,” Marbil added.

Anti-drug cops’ slay suspects killed

Meanwhile, the leader of a gang said to be behind the killing of anti-narcotics operatives Senior M/Sgt. Sofronio Capitle Jr. and S/Sgt. Dominador Gacusan Jr. in Mabalacat, Pampanga on Dec. 3 was killed in an alleged shootout with authorities early yesterday.

Kenneth Flores fired at policemen serving an arrest warrant for double murder in Sitio Dungan in Barangay Tabun, reports reaching the office of Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Cesar Pasiwen showed.

A .45-caliber pistol and a hand grenade were reportedly recovered from the fatality.

The slain policeman had just conducted a drug sting when five men on two motorcycles arrived and shot them along South Daang Bakal Road in Barangay Dau.        –  Ramon Efren Lazaro