POLICE personnel arrested a drug suspect and seized 14 bricks of dried marijuana leaves during an interdiction operation in Bontoc, Mountain province on Easter Sunday.
Arrested personality is identified as a certain Rosendo Don Piquero Tadeo, 24, a dental technician from Bicutan, Taguig City.
Police report reveals that personnel from Sadanga Municipal Police Station were conducting a COMELEC-PNP-AFP checkpoint in Ampawilen, Poblacion, Sadanga when a Kalinga-Bontoc Ace Finder bus unit arrived.
During visual inspection inside the bus, one of the passengers secretly pointed to a color brown, black and blue/gray bags allegedly containing suspected contraband.
This triggered suspicion among the personnel on duty causing the ITU operatives of Sadanga MPS to follow the bus proceeding towards Bontoc, Mt. Province.
Upon arrival of the bus fronting Kalley Xerox Center, the arrested suspect was seen picking and carrying the bags.
He then walked towards the rotonda of Poblacion, Bontoc.
He immediately turned back upon noticing the SUMVAC (Summer Vacation) Assistance Desk manned by PNP personnel.
This action prompted the operatives to accost him.
He was subjected to a body frisking.
It was then and there that pieces of evidence were recovered from the suspect including some 14 pieces of rectangular form of dried marijuana leaves with an estimated value of P1,562,520.
Onsite inventory was conducted in the presence of the suspect, duly witnessed by barangay chair Glen C Saavedra, media representative Novy R Afidchao and Prosecutor Golda C Bagawi.
“This is a concrete example that if ever our police personnel would somehow find the actions of any driver or passenger subjected to our checkpoint as absurd or suspicious, and then the procedure is to coordinate with nearby unit to assist in the monitoring of the subject.
Aside from our very active personnel from the Bontoc MPS, I would also like to thank the support group from the PIU/DEU-MPPPO, MPPPMFC,1502nd RMFB coy, PECU Mountain Province and PDEA Mountain Province for making sure that the suspect won’t elude arrest,” PNP Chief General Dionardo Carlos said.
Carlos said that the PNP maintains its mandate to only implement visual search in checkpoints, except when the need arises that someone will act strangely.
