A DRUG-DEALING policeman in Bicol was arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) in an entrapment operation in Ocampo, Camarines Sur, early morning Sunday, a report to PNP Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said.

The suspect is now facing non-bailable charges for selling and possessing prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Once found guilty of the criminal and administrative charges to be filed against him, the cop will be dismissed from the police force without benefits.

“We will also be recommending summary dismissal proceedings against the suspect for his involvement in illegal drug activities, which is a form of grave misconduct,” said PNP-IMEG Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Brig. Gen. Samuel C. Nacion. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5) headed by Brig. Gen. Mario A. Reyes.

According to the official, the accused active policeman was arrested in a drug sting in Bgy. Hibago in Ocampo municipality, which was conducted at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday by IMEG Luzon Field Unit members with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Intelligence Unit, and the Ocampo Municipal Police Station.

Recovered were two plastic sachets of shabu, the buy-bust money, a strip of aluminum foil, and a Yamaha Sniper 155cc motorcycle.

The suspect was also immediately stripped of his PNP-issued Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol with three magazines containing 28 live ammunition.

Nacion said that the IMEG Luzon Field Unit headed by Col. Jeff Fanged launched the “Coplan Panolio” in coordination with the PDEA following information from an arrested drug personality in Ocampo municipality that the policeman was acting as a “drug protector” in the area.

“We got the information that the accused was demanding protection money from drug personalities in the municipality and worse, was also recycling seized drug evidence,” the PNP-IMEG director said.

Nacion said they learned that the accused was also using illegal drugs and asking other known drug personalities in his area to sell confiscated drug evidence. There were reports that the suspect was involved in illegal gambling activities before his arrest.

The suspect is now being held at the PDEA Camarines Sur lock-up facility, said a report to PDEA chief, Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva.

The arrest of the Bicol policeman came in the wake of a stepped-up campaign by the PNP-IMEG to arrest active, retired, or dismissed police personnel who are wanted for various illegal activities.

Last Sunday, IMEG-LFU operatives arrested an ex-Police Lieutenant Colonel, a dismissed police officer wanted for a murder case in the Ilocos-Pangasinan region.

Nacion said that the ex-police official is the subject of a non-bailable warrant of arrest for murder issued by Judge Nyerson Dexter Tito Tualla of the San Fernando City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28 in La Union.

“The accused has been the target of our Luzon Field Unit for reportedly leading the so-called ‘Magpali Gun-for-Hire Group’ operating in La Union and other parts of Ilocos-Pangasinan region,” the official said.

Nacion said that his men have been hot on the trail of the accused since July 2021 after then, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his arrest for leading the Magpali Crime Group said to be being hired by unscrupulous politicians in Region 1 to kill their rivals.

Two other ex-policemen were also arrested by PNP-IMEG officers for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition last week.

“This is part of our stepped-up internal cleansing program aimed at arresting active, dismissed, or suspended police personnel who are wanted for involvement in illegal, corrupt, and abusive activities,” Gen. Azurin said.

He said that one of the suspects, a former member of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6, was arrested by IMEG officers and the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, who raided his house in Bgy. Tambac in Bayambang municipality around 4:45 a.m. last Tuesday.

The raid was conducted on the strength of a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 issued by a local court.

​“The subject dismissed policeman has been reported by his neighbors to be having the habit of firing his gun indiscriminately while under the influence of liquor and still introducing himself as a police officer,” said Nacion.

Recovered during the raid at the ex-cop’s house were one caliber .45 semi-automatic pistol with a defaced serial number and a magazine containing eight live ammunition, one 9mm magazine assembly, and 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The suspect is now being held at the Bayambang Municipal Police Station.

On the other hand, members of the IMEG Counter-Intelligence Division, joined by officers from the Taytay Municipal Police Station, arrested Ferrer past 9:00 a.m. last Thursday inside his house at Lupang Arenda, Bgy. Sta. Ana in Taytay.

Recovered inside the suspect’s residence were one cal. 40 pistol with four magazines containing several live ammunition, one M-16 magazine, and three boxes of live cal. 5.56 ammunition.

Nacion said they have received reports that the suspect is involved in illegal drug trafficking and is allegedly protecting drug personalities in Bgy. Pinagbuhatan in Pasig City and in C-6, Taytay municipality.

“He is also believed to be involved in car theft and gunrunning in Taytay,” said the official.

The suspect was locked up at the Taytay Police jail while charges for violation of RA 10591 are being readied against him.

“We are fully committed to leading the PNP internal cleansing program aimed at purging our ranks of rogue police personnel, whether they are active, retired, or dismissed from the police service,” said Brig. Gen. Nacion.