P1.3 M worth of shabu found in former ARMM solon's house

MAGUINDANAO --- Authorities found Monday P1.3 million worth of shabu in the house of a former member of the defunct Regional Assembly-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Juvenal Azurin, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said their target,  Mike Sittie, also known as “Commander Mike,” remained scot-free.

Agents of PDEA-BARMM and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group searched for him early Monday in four adjoining houses, one of them owned by former ARMM Assemblyman Sidik Ameril, in Barangay Manggay in Talitay, Maguindanao.

Sittie, leader of a rouge group reportedly linked to the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, is wanted for kidnapping and car theft cases pending in courts.

Azurin said PDEA’s involvement in the raid was premised on reports by residents of Talitay that Sittie is also engaged in large-scale trafficking of shabu.

Assemblyman Ameril is reportedly included in Malacañang’s list of narco-politicians that President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to neutralize.

The search operation in the former regional lawmaker’s residential compound was assisted by members of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division and the Maguindanao provincial police.

Azurin said they found P1.3 million worth of shabu in the house of Assemblyman Ameril when agents, policemen and soldiers simultaneously searched for Sittie in the four houses.

Azurin said the wife of Assemblyman Ameril, Janine Mamalapat-Ameril, who was inside the house from where they recovered shabu was immediately detained.

She is to be prosecuted for violation of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, according to Azurin.

“The former ARMM legislator and his wife shall be charged with violation of RA 9165,” Azurin said.

He said Assemblyman Ameril and Sittie are still at large.

“We will not stop from running after them,” Azurin said.