Apayao province remains drug free

Luna, Apayao, Philippines  – Aside from being declared insurgent-free, Apayao province says it is drug-free.

Apayao police director Senior Superintendent Nestor Bergonia says that a reportedly resurgent drug pusher in Pudtol town was arrested by policemen on Sunday. 

In a buy-bust operation, Pudtol town policemen cornered Dario Calasag, 33, from Barangay Swan, in Pudtol selling a sachet of shabu worth P500 to a buyer who the drug pusher did not expect was a policeman.

The arrested pusher has reportedly sneaked out from various entrapment operations in the past, but on Sunday morning the operation succeeded, said Bergonia. 

Bergonia also announced that for the first time, Apayao recorded a “24-hour no-crime” since Saturday, a welcome development in the province where for the past, sensational crimes happened, the latest of which was on July 9 when forest ranger Kennedy Bayani was shot while manning a checkpoint in San Isidro, Luna town.