CEBU, Philippines - A neophyte policeman suffered a cut above his right eye and scratches on his right elbow after he was attacked by relatives of a drug pusher during a buy-bust operation yesterday afternoon in sitio La Purisima in barangay Mantuyong, Mandaue City.
PO1 Florentino Cuadero was just assigned to the barangay Opao police station three weeks ago after joining the PNP in July 2009.
Opao Police station chief P Sr./Insp .Alfredo Ortiz said Cuadero acted as a poseur buyer, and when he handed the P200 marked money to Joselito Abas Pasigay in exchange for a small sachet of suspected shabu, he immediately arrested the man.
But Pasigay resisted arrest and Pasigay’s relatives immediately ganged up on Cuadero, with one of the relatives smashing Cuadero’s face with a small rock, sending him to the floor.
Although down on the floor, Cuadero never let go of Pasigay.
When other policemen arrived, the relatives fled.
The police seized from Pasigay the marked money and ten small packs containing alleged shabu.
Pasigay was taken to the Opao police station pending the filing of cases against him.—Flor Z. Perolina