ORMOC CITY– At least 27 sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu estimated to weigh half a kilo, and a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition were recovered by the operatives of the Provincial Drugs Enforcement Team (PDEU) of the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office and the City Drug Enforcement Team (CDET) from an ex-convict and a drug parolee in a buy-bust operation Monday (Feb.6) in Maasin City.
Maasin City police chief, Lt. Col Jason Balbaron, identified the suspect as Silbo Tombiga, 46, married, jobless, and a resident of Brgy. Sua-angon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.
He is listed as a high-valued individual on the drug watch list of the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office.
Recovered from the possession of the suspect was one medium size sachet containing suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P30,000.
Also recovered from the suspect was a backpack containing one sling bag in color black and green pouch. The sling bag contained one. 45 caliber pistol with three pieces of a magazine, 22 pieces of live ammunition of the same Caliber 45.
The green pouch when opened contained 26 medium-sized sachets containing shabu estimated to weight 500 grams with a street value of P3.4 million.
The suspect was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Ormoc City but was released from prison thru a plea bargaining agreement. He was also imprisoned for highway robbery in Bontoc Southern, Leyte, and was released after serving his sentence.
Charges of violation of RA 9165 the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, and RA 10591 the Law against Illegal Possession of Firearms, ammunition and explosive were filed against the suspect who is now languishing at the detention cell of Maasin city police station. (ROBERT DEJON)
