PDEA-8 files drug raps against cop, fisherman

TACLOBAN CITY — Authorities of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 8 have filed charges against PO2 Elmer Ampoc and Alfredo Lacbayo Jr. for alleged violation of the laws on anti-illegal and illegal possession of firearms.

The two were arrested in a buy-bust operation at Brgy. Candahug in Palo, Leyte last January 28 and were caught allegedly in possession of a kilo of cocaine.

This was confirmed by PDEA-8 director Julius Navales, who said that the criminal cases were filed at the Leyte Provincial Prosecutions Office the day after the arrest of the suspects.

PDEA-8 operatives seized from Ampoc, 43-year-old policeman of Borongan town in Eastern Samar, a brick of cocaine and a .45 caliber pistol.

His companion, Lacbayo, a fisherman from Borongan, allegedly tried to sell the cocaine to PDEA-8 agents at P50,000 price, lesser than the original amount of P300,000.

The two suspects are still in custody of PDEA-8, waiting for the resolution of the cases at the provincial prosecutions office.

Police Regional Office-8 deputy director for operations, Sr. Supt. Edgar Basbas, added that Ampoc was already on AWOL since last January 19, but was deleted from the PNP rolls since December 2010 when he was dismissed from the police service for administrative case.

 "So at the time he was arrested because of illegal drug trade he was no longer connected with the PNP," Basbas said.

Navales said the brick of cocaine taken from Ampoc was part of the still unrecovered number of bricks that anti-drug enforcement agencies have been trying to gather since December 2009 when a Hong Kong-bound vessel dumped tons of cocaine into the sea of Samar Island to avoid getting caught. 

"The recent arrest of Lakbayo and Ampoc in possession with cocaine was a strong proof that there are still to be recovered of the prohibited drug in the region." Navales added.

Lacbayo narrated during the tactical interrogation that there are still one sack of cocaine in possession of civilians in Eastern Samar.

Nearly 600 bricks of cocaine have so far been recovered by PDEA-8 and the PNP from fishermen who voluntarily turned the contraband over to the authorities after finding these washed ashore or floating in the sea.

Navales called on the public to help them recover the cocaine bricks that are still within the region possibly being hidden by some unscrupulous individuals with a purpose of gaining profit. (FREEMAN)