Chief tanod falls in "drug bust"

CEBU, Philippines – He is supposed to be helping the police in the fight against illegal drugs in his barangay, but the chief tanod of Kamagayan ended up being arrested because of serious accusation that he himself was selling illegal drugs.

Hermogenes Borres, Sr. 57, was arrested by the operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency within the premises of the barangay hall at 4:00 dawn yesterday during a buy bust operation.

Borres denied the accusation claiming that he was just invited by the PDEA agents to come to their office.

PDEA-7 information officer Jessie Tabanao said Borres sold a pack of shabu to their informant for P300. The transaction that allegedly happened in Sitio Cabatigan was witnessed by Intelligence Officer I Jonar Cuayzon.

However, Borres was allegedly quick to notice the dragnet, immediately boarded his motorcycle and left the place. Tabanao claimed that a hot pursuit operation ensued.

 Cuayzon and I01 Kristian Ione Sesante tailed Borres to the barangay hall and subsequently arrested him. Incidental to the arrest, a .45 caliber pistol with three magazines and 21 rounds of ammunition were seized.

Borres belied Tabanao’s claim saying there was no buy bust operation. He also denied having in his possession the firearm allegedly confiscated from him.

According to Borres, he first noticed the PDEA operatives in the place prompting him to approach them and asked if he could be of any help to them.

Borres said he was told that they were just conducting surveillance operations. The suspect said he left and went back to the barangay hall to prepare for his duty.

However, moments later the PDEA operatives arrived and invited him to go with them. As the chief tanod he obliged to the invitation but was surprised when he was treated a suspect in the PDEA office.

“Unsa ko nila gidakop, nakit-an pa nako na sila naka-posting sa area. Ako sila gipangutana nag-unsa mo diri Sir? Naa ra daw sila’y gi-surveillance. Ako giingnan na naa ko’y maitabang Sir? Wala daw. Miadto na ko sa barangay hall, naligo kay mu-duty na lagi. ‘Nya miadto sila kay i-invite daw ko. Mikuyog lang pud ko. Pag-abot diri sa PDEA, gi-arrest ko nila,” he said.

The suspect said that a suspected drug lord in their barangay, Allan Catalan, framed him up.

“Nasuko na siya nako kay nagtuo na siya na ako’y tigsumbong sa mga ilegal niya na binuhatan diha sa barangay,” he said. Barangay Kamagayan is one of the barangays in the city where illegal drug activities are rampant.

Catalan, a suspected dug pusher, was already arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau of the Cebu City Police Office during a drug raid in 2006.

Kamagayan Barangay Captain Celestino Avila went to the PDEA headquarters yesterday to protest the arrest of his chief watchman.

Tabanao however insisted that the arrest was legitimate and that the PDEA-7 has already conducted surveillance and test-buy operations against Borres.

He said they will report Borres’ arrest to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which has jurisdiction over erring tanods.

The suspect is temporarily detained at the PDEA-7 detention cell pending the filing of the criminal complaint for possession of illegal drugs today.

Borres claimed to be an asset of Pari-an Police Station and of the Anti-Street Hoodlum Operating Team (A-SHOT) of the Cebu City Police Office. He has been serving the barangay as village watchman for over 10 years and has been a chief tanod since three years ago. (THE FREEMAN)