Drug bust: SK chair, 5 others nabbed

BAYBAY CITY, Philippines — A newly elected SK chairman and five of his companions were arrested in a buy-bust operation at a drug den Wednesday evening at Barangay Guadalupe in Baybay City of Leyte, which was declared a drug-cleared city by authorities only last month.

Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Leyte's provincial anti-drug unit conducted the buy-bust resulting in the arrest of 21-year-old SK Chairman Doni Francis Pascua, and five others: Jonar Jose Polo, 22; John Paul Navales, 24; Jester James Lora, 22; Ephren Son Flores, 30; and Edison Flores, 31,

One of their companions, identified as John Zacate, however managed to elude arrest during the buy-bust, in which the operatives used a poseur buyer in the deal that also resulted in the confiscation of five sachets of shabu, estimated to weigh 3 grams and worth about P24,000, and drug paraphernalia.

PDEA-8 Regional Director Edgar Jubay said it was Polo who transacted the sale of shabu, and he will be charged with sale and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. The rest of those arrested will be facing charges for being inside the drug den, as either visitors or participants.

The six drug suspects were immediately put bars at the PDEA-8 detention facility.