Anti-drug ops net Lanao Sur town councilor

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao --- Anti-narcotics agents, backed by police and Army personnel, collared a municipal councilor in an anti-drug operation las6tJune 13 in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur.

A report relayed to this camp by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency –Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM) identified the arrested suspect as Abedin Disalongan, a town councilor of Balabagan.

Armed with a search warrant issued by a local court, a combined team of PDEA-ARMM, the police’s Special Action Force, and the Army’s 6th Infantry Battalion personnel swooped down on Disalongan's residence in the Poblacion area around 5 a.m.

Disalongan, who was in his residence during the raid, did not resist arrest.

Recovered from the councilor’s house were 50 grams of suspected “shabu,” one M-16 rifle, two 9mm pistols, and a pick-up truck believed being used in his nefarious activities.

Disalongan has been placed under the custody of PDEA-ARMM and is facing charges  for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act.

On the same day, authorities also raided the house of a drug-linked couple in Barangay Banago of the same town but both managed to elude arrest. The couple is identified as Billy Jack Ogca, a newly elected barangay councilor, and his wife, MayleenBiruar.

“The raiding team was armed with a separate search warrant but failed to get the suspects as they have sensed the arrival of the arresting team,” said Capt. Arvin John Encinas, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) spokesman.

Seized from the couple’s home were several sachets of “shabu” weighing 60 grams, a digital weighing scale, and several bank documents.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6th ID commander and concurrent chief of Joint Task Force Central, has vowed to continue helping law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal drugs in Central Mindanao. (Noel Punzsalan, PNA - Cotabato/MINDANAO EXPOSE’)