Drug pushing suspects fall in police buy-bust

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Operatives of the Negros Oriental Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (PAIDSOTF) arrested a suspected drug pusher and his companion at a hotel in the downtown area of this city early Tuesday.

Police reports said the suspect, identified as Christian Calumpang, 28, was nabbed by authorities after allegedly handing over to an undercover agent a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu in a P1,000 deal.

Calumpang, a resident of Poblacion 8 in Tanjay City, however sensed he was about to be arrested prompting him to flee from the scene. The police gave chase that briefly ended at the hotel where he allegedly stayed.

PAIDSOTF operatives recovered from Calumpang two more plastic sachets of suspected shabu, each with an estimated worth of P28,000, a digital weighing scale, a pair of scissors and tin foil.

The team also arrested inside the hotel room a certain Emmanuel Navarro, 38, also from Tanjay City, who told the police that he was just visiting Calumpang and had no idea about the illegal drugs.

Investigators said Calumpang claimed to have received a "shabu delivery" from a man, identified only as Marlo, following an order placed by still unidentified clients for the illegal drugs.

Calumpang told The Freeman that he was an OFW in Brunei and he used shabu sometimes beside selling it.

Meanwhile in Bacong town, a suspected drug pusher, was also linked to some holdup and burglary incidents in Barangay Sacsac of that town Monday evening.

Police identified the victim as a certain Alvin Baligasa Sojeredo, 34. He was reportedly walking in a dimly-lit area along the national highway when an unidentified assailant gunned him down, four times in the head and chest. He died on the spot.

Senior Insp. Leopoldo Ijan, Bacong Police chief, said no spent shells or slugs were recovered from the crime scene and no witnesses have surfaced yet. He said investigators have considered the angle of illegal drugs or perhaps vigilante justice among the possible motives of the killing. - THE FREEMAN