Authorities arrested a man who formerly worked as a councilor in Barangay Sto. Niño, Cebu City and confiscated P137,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Quiot Pardo on Thursday morning, December 7, 2023. | PDEA-7 photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A former councilor of Barangay Sto. Niño in Cebu City will be spending some time in jail after authorities caught him with P136,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Quiot Pardo on Thursday morning, December 7, 2023.
The arrested person was identified as 47-year-old Brian Dwight Gaviola, who formerly worked as a barangay councilor and is now jobless.
The alleged suspect is a resident of Barangay Quiot Pardo, Cebu City.
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Former barangay councilor, a drug personality
The anti-illegal drugs operation was conducted at around 9:30 a.m. which lead to the arrest of the suspect.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) also described the arrested person as a drug personality listed in the PDEA-PNP regional target list.
Gaviola reportedly served as a councilor in Barangay Sto. Niño until October 2023 after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.
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How long he has been in the drug trade
According to Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson, they initially received reports about Gaviola’s involvement in illegal drugs activities while he was still in the position.
Operatives then validated the information they received until they were able to gather enough evidence against Gaviola. Alacantara relayed that the case buildup took one month before the buy-bust was implemented.
She said that based on their observation, Gaviola could dispose around 30 grams of illegal drugs per week.
Suspected shabu with market value of P136,000 was confiscated from a former barangay councilor in Cebu City on Thursday morning, December 7, 2023. | PDEA-7 photo
READ: Lapu-Lapu City police nab Marawi native with P6.8M ‘shabu’
P136,000 shabu seized
During the operation, personnel confiscated 5 packs of illegal drugs believed to be shabu weighing around 20 grams. The seized illegal drugs had a market value of P136,000.
They also confiscated one cellular phone, IDs, one motorcycle, and cash amounting to P3,000.
According to the agency, the pieces of drug evidence will be submitted to the laboratory for chemical analysis and proper disposition.
The buy-bust operation was conducted by joint forces of PDEA-7 and Labangon Police Station.
As of this writing, Gaviola has been placed under custody pending the filing of appropriate charges against him.
Charges of possession and selling of dangerous drugs will likely be filed against the former barangay councilor, stated PDEA-7.