THEY were supposed to be the ones helping the police implement Oplan Tokhang (Operation Toktok Hangyo) in their barangay, but two barangay officials of Pinamungajan town in southwestern Cebu ended up in jail after they were caught allegedly using shabu in the town’s cemetery last Saturday.
Jose Lingaw-Lingaw Fredrequilan, 48, and Edgardo Abelle, 58, were caught inside the cemetery in Barangay Poblacion of Pinamungajan town last Saturday allegedly sniffing shabu, said PO1 Nathaniel Mansueto of the Pinamungajan Police Station.
Fredrequilan is Barangay Pandacan’s secretary while Abelle is a tanod of the barangay.
Investigation showed that the Fredrequilan and Abelle came to the Poblacion to watch a 7 p.m. variety show there.
But they arrived earlier at 6 p.m. that day and ended up at the cemetery area where a group of people were allegedly seen engaging in a shabu-sniffing session, said Mansueto.
Mansueto said that they went to the area after they were informed about several people at the cemetery allegedly using illegal drugs.
When they arrived, the group fled in different directions, but police were able to catch the two men from Barangay Pandacan.
SPO2 Peter Cuanso, team leader of the police team, said they confiscated drug sniffing paraphernalia and 0.2 grams of suspected shabu worth P2,336 from the suspects.
Fredrequilan and Abelle were detained at the Pinamungajan Police Station.
PO1 Jomar Galve, desk officer of the Pinamungajan Police Station, said that he asked the detained suspects how long they had been using shabu.
Galve said that Fredquilan told him that he had been a shabu user for 10 years while Abelle told Galve that he had been using shabu for 7 years already.
When asked where they got the shabu that they used, Galve said that the suspects told him that they only got the illegal drugs from runners.
Galve said the suspects, however, refused to elaborate.
In Consolacion town, police arrested three persons during a buy-bust operation last Saturday afternoon.
PO1 Richie Gillaran of the Consolacion police said that they arrested Neil Lauron, 39, after he handed over a small sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover police officer in Barangay Tayud.
Aside from Lauron, Gillaran said that they also arrested Lauron’s cohort, Fennyl Labucay, 36.
When the operation went down, Labucay ran inside the house where she was cornered with Roel Yballe, 41, who was allegedly caught sniffing shabu inside the house.
The suspects were detained at the Consolacion police station pending the filing of charges.