Trader nabbed for drug pushing, bribery

MANILA, Philippines – A trader, believed to be a member of a big-time drug syndicate, was arrested for drug pushing in a drug bust in Caloocan City early yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Jude Wilson Santos, city police chief, identified the suspect as Saidamen Barambangan Alala, a native of Marawi City, Lanao del Sur province and a resident of Barangay 188 in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

Santos told The STAR Alala also offered the money in his possession when arrested, including a red Nissan Exalta he used, in exchange for his freedom.

“He also told our men that if these were not enough, he is willing to give some more tomorrow (Monday),” said Santos.

Yusof Dumato, 50, a councilman of Barangay 188, was also taken into custody and is under investigation after interceding for Alala’s freedom immediately after his arrest. Dumato told police he worked for Alala’s release after some relatives approached him for assistance.

Police said Dumato is also being investigated for possible links to the illegal drug trade in the area.

Seized from Alala were 10 sachets of shabu weighing about 50 grams, P200,000, the P30,000 marked money, bank transaction slips, and business cards. Also found in Alala’s possession were a license and permit to carry a .9mm pistol but Alala yielded no gun when lawmen frisked him.

Santos said they are still trying to establish what drug group is involved in this incident.

Santos told The STAR that Alala’s arrest was the result of two weeks of surveillance by the Caloocan Police’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (SAID-SOTG), headed by Chief Inspector Christopher Prangan, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Senior Inspector Rodrigo Soriano.

Commendations for Prangan, Soriano and their men are in the works, Santos said.

Soriano said they monitored Alala’s bank transactions for a week and confirmed his activities before arresting him. Prangan said Alala deposited well over P1 million to a bank account with the BDO every other day within a seven-day period.

“His bank-to-bank transactions with his contacts in the syndicate indicated a big time operation,” Soriano said.