Former barangay official: I’m a user, not a pusher

Police account the packs of suspected drugs that were allegedly seized from Jonathan Dichos in a buy-bust operation in Cebu City. (CDN PHOTOs/LITO TECSON)

A former barangay councilman and a 34-year-old man were arrested in separate drug buy-bust operations in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.

Incidentally, the two suspects identified as Jonathan Dichos, 35, and Willy Donaire are both residents of barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City where Dichos is a  former councilman.

Dichos was arrested by operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (RAIDSOTG) in barangay Carreta, Cebu City last Wednesday night.

Dichos, according to the police, sold illegal drugs to a poseur buyer on JL Briones Street at the North Reclamation Area.
Senior Insp. Hendrix Bancoleta said they received information about Dichos’ alleged illegal activities last year.

Jonathan Dichos

It took the authorities a long time to conduct the operation against Dichos because people were afraid to testify against him, since he was then a barangay official, Bancoleta said.
Police said Dichos sold drugs in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue with call center agents as his customers.

Dichos, however, denied he was involved in selling drugs. He admitted being a drug user.

He said he was merely set up by his people who had an axe to grind against him.

Police confiscated four packs of various sizes containing a white substance believed to be shabu. They also got the P500 buy-bust money from him.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Donaire was arrested by operatives of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) and City Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (CAIDSOTG) yesterday afternoon.

Police said seized from Donaire were five packs of suspected shabu with an estimated worth of P150,000, some drug paraphernalia and the marked money.
Police said Donaire is a level three drug pusher who had escaped previous police drug operations.