ORMOC CITY- A policeman is now languishing in jail after he was arrested in a buy-bust operation inside a lodging house last April 28.
Arrested by police operative was PO1 Bernard Alvarez, 32 and was assigned at the police station in Matag-ob, Leyte. His still unidentified companion managed to flee during the operation.
Seized from the suspect was a sachet white substance believed to be shabu.
Alvarez was nabbed inside a room of a lodging house of this city which he turned into a drug den, authorities said.
Chief Inspector Ibrahim Jambiran, the station 1 chief and the team leader said that the police had bought drugs from Alvarez twice already during a one week surveillance.
He added the surveillance established that the room Alvarez rented for about two months now was used as drug den.
The police chased Alvarez’s companion who carried the marked P500 bill but failed.
Alvarez denied he owned the suspected drug recovered from his left back pocket during the body search that was witnessed by the village official, representative from the Department of Justice and media.
He also belied allegation that he was involved in the illegal drug trade and that he is hooked to shabu.
Large sachets believed to contain drug residue and used tin foils were also recovered inside the room.
Alvarez, who entered the police service four years ago, added he is currently on leave but his claim was denied by PO3 Dennis Sabundo, the Matag-ob police station Administrative Officer.
Sabundo said that Alvarez was supposed to report last April 24 considering the station have a new police chief.
He added that Alvarez texted on the 25th that he was sick so he was advised to produce medical certificate but until his arrest, the disgraced policeman did not report to duty without filing an official leave of absence.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
