Fake PDEA agent, 2 others nabbed

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Philippines – A man posing as an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and his two companions were arrested in a sting here yesterday.

Federico Gaspar, 57, alias Major Gaspar, also posed as a police officer, said Superintendent Julius Suriben, city police chief.

Gaspar, his girlfriend Nicole Ubungen and a certain Jodel Madriaga, 31, were arrested after they allegedly sold shabu to an undercover agent in Barangay Pagdalagan.

Seized from Gaspar and Ubungen were four plastic sachets said to contain shabu, a motorcycle, marked money and drug paraphernalia while Madriaga yielded a sachet of shabu, a P500 bill and a mobile phone.

Senior Inspector Jeofrey Sanchez, chief of the city police’s anti-illegal drug special operation group, said Gaspar was included in PDEA’s target list while Ubungen and Madriaga were in the barangay anti-drug abuse council’s list.

The suspects have been detained at the city jail. Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are being readied against them.

Meanwhile, a village councilman was arrested for allegedly selling shabu in Sta. Lucia town, Ilocos Sur last Saturday.

Ben Javonillo of Barangay Lalung in Sta. Cruz town was reportedly included in the municipal police’s list of alleged drug pushers.

The suspect yielded a plastic sachet said to contain shabu, a mobile phone and marked money.  – With Raymund Catindig