Maguindanao village chief, wife arrested for drugs, gun
Local News • 17:19 PM Tue Aug 14, 2018
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
The items seized from the house of Nestor Salama, 47, village chair of Barangay Balatongkayo, Datu Montawal, Maguindanao. (PDEA-12 AND ARMM)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – A newly elected village chair of Maguindanao, his wife and two
aides, were arrested by joint Army, police and anti-narcotics operatives
Monday.
Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 12 (PDEA-12) and in the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM), backed by police and 7th Infantry
Battalion operatives, served the search warrant against Nestor Salama, 47, village
chair of Barangay Balatongkayo, Datu Montawal, Maguindanao, and a resident of
Mercado Street, Barangay Poblacion, Kabacan, North Cotabato.
Also arrested
were his wife Norhata, 42, Kabunto Batunan, 39 and Johari Zombaga, 20, all PDEA
high value targets.
Juvenal
Azurin, PDEA regional director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and
Naravy Duquitan, regional director for PDEA-12, led the law enforcement operation
at 4 a.m.
Kabacan is
under PDEA-12 while Datu Montawal town is under PDEA-ARMM.
Confiscated during
the law enforcement operation were 11 sachets of suspected shabu weighing more
or less 43 grams with estimated value of P292,000, shabu paraphernalia, a cak.
40 pistol, ammunition, ATM cards, assorted receipts and cash believed to be
proceeds of illegal drug transaction.
Salama has
been in PDEA-ARMM drug watch list, Azurin said, adding the suspect peddles illegal
drugs in Maguindanao and North Cotabato.
Cases for
violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and
Republic Act 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearm and Explosive) will be filed
against the suspects now detained at PDEA ARMM detention facility in Cotabato
City. (Edwin O. Fernandez)