Argao police chief nabbed for keeping woman facing drug charges in office

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The chief of the Argao Police Station is currently in the hot seat after a woman who was arrested for illegal drugs was allegedly detained in his office for seven months.

This was discovered after the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) raided the room of Police Major Eldifonso Miranda, chief of Argao Police, past 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

It was found out that Miranda has been the subject of the raid after police received information that Jenie Villanueva, in her 20’s, and charged for violating RA 9165 or the comprehensive dangerous drugs act last July 2019, was detained inside Miranda’s office instead of the station’s detention cell.

According to Police Staff Sergeant Roy Repolidon, the desk officer on duty during the raid, the IMEG arrived and announced that they were going to conduct a police station inspection.

Repolido said he was “surprised” when he saw that Miranda was escorted out his office followed by Villanueva.

Repolido said Villanueva, a native of Barangay Kansay, Dalaguete,  Cebu, was arrested during a buy-bust operation last September 2019 and has a case already filed in the court. Miranda took over as chief in August 2019.

He added that he could not explain how Villanueva was inside the room of their chief and not inside their detention facility.

As of this posting, both Miranda and Villanueva are in the custody of the IMEG at the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) headquarters along Osmeña Boulevard for further investigation. /bmjo