No. 1 on Naga’s drug watch list arrested

CEBU, Philippines - Naga City’s number one on the drug watch list and an alleged gun-for-hire was arrested on Monday inBarangay Langtad, Naga City.

Rene Sayaboc alias “Rabat,” 38, a resident of Inuburan City of Naga Cebu, is the top name on Naga’s watch list because of the number of cases relating to illegal drugs pending against him. Sayaboc has also been reported to be working as a gun-for-hire.

Sayaboc was served a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Glenda Go of Regional Trial Court Branch 66 for violating Sections 5 and 11 of Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and for violations on Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.

Sayaboc was not in his residence when police came to arrest him and had reportedly gone into hiding as soon as he heard that a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Police assets and a concerned citizen tipped the police of his presence in Barangay Langtad and after police operatives were able to verify the report, police arrived with the warrant of arrest.

The suspect was seen walking along a small alleyway and was immediately arrested.

Sayaboc did not try to resist arrest and no illegal items were recovered from him.

According to Naga City Police Station chief Gregorio Galsim, residents were glad that Sayaboc had been captured.

“Indeed ni-react ang iba, nagpasalamat ng malaki, nagdasal, at last nahuli na talaga kay daghan ni siya og kontra,” Galsim said.

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, two teenagers landed in jail after they were caught allegedly in possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia in Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita last Monday.

Police arrested Pernel Baguio Canucat, 18, of Barangay Day-as and Catherine Diagbel, 19, of Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

Police Officer 2 Rainer Mahinay, one of the arresting officers, in a phone interview with The FREEMAN, said he and his colleagues were on their way to Sitio Bato to implement arrest and search warrants as part of their warrant service day when they chanced upon the two suspects inside a shanty with a door left open.

The two, who are live-in partners, were allegedly preparing the paraphernalia and about to start their sniffing session, which prompted the police to arrest them.

Seized from the suspects were two pieces of aluminum tin foil used as funnel and tooter, a disposable lighter and a small sachet of suspected shabu.

The suspects are now under the custody of Carbon police pending the filing of criminal complaints against them for violations of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). — with report from Michael Vencynth H. Braga