Mayor's driver arrested for shabu in Banga, South Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY- A former driver of a town mayor in South Cotabato has been arrested by anti-narcotics agents following a raid in Barangay Punong Grande, Banga, South Cotabato.Virgilio Brillo Jr, 45, former driver of Banga Mayor Albert Palencia, was arrested by joint operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-12) at past 2 p.m.PDEA-12 Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio, who led the operation, said the raid was conducted after PDEA agents confirmed the existence of a shabu tiange inside Brillo's home.Bobby Delalamon, Punong Grande barangay chairperson, said Brillo was known in the village as supplier and pusher of prohibited drugs.Aspacio said two of Brillo's companions in the house managed to elude arrest. They were identified as Anthony Esteva and a certain Toto. Seized from him were three sachets of suspected shabu and one-half sack of dried marijuana leaves.Mayor Palencia said he dismissed Brillo from work after he was told that he was into illegal drug use.Both Palencia and Delalamon advised Brillo to cease from using or pushing illegal drugs. But their advises fell on deaf ears. In Surallah, South Cotabato, five men who ignored police appeals for illegal drug users to voluntarily surrender had learned a lesson, that is the police now means business.Chief Inspector Joel Fuerte, Surallah town police chief, said one of those arrested during the mid-day anti-illegal drug operation was included in the police's most wanted list.They were arrested inside a motel in Surallah and learned a lesson that once arrested they will be handcuff, ordered to lie down or sit down while investigation and inventory of recovered items were on going.Obviously, they ignored PNP's appeal which has been going on since last month. He is No. 7 in our list, Fuerte said of one of the suspects,Winson Paneza, 32, a resident of Barangay Colungolo, Banga, South Cotabato.Also arrested were Archie Dequiran Dureza, 33 Jerry De Mateo Galagar, 43 Hernalee Vicente, 29 Jomuel Layno Bernardino, 28, all residents of Banga and Surallah towns.Seized from the suspects were five sachets of suspected shabu, marked money and shabu paraphernalia. sand//scontent.fceb2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13427960_985433308230145_7885792232122525961_n.jpg?oh=eabc8560499ac259f60c56a257147aa5andampoe=57C4B668 sand//scontent.fceb2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13418726_985433311563478_2221690335336166720_n.jpg?oh=b36932d071e3ddf1ab31901fefa552d2andampoe=57CD7540