Highschool teacher caught ‘selling’ shabu

Buy-bust in Sibulan, Negros Oriental

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — A high school teacher, who the police previously identified as a “high-value target,” was caught in the act of selling shabu during a buy-bust operation at Barangay Magatas in Sibulan town Sunday evening.

Police identified the suspect as Roselier Catacutan Cadeliña, a 44-year-old teacher of the Sibulan National High School’s extension campus at Barangay Ajong.

Arrested with him was 42-year-old Rictor Cabual Ligo, who was previously convicted in a drug-related case, and was only released from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City last March.

Both suspects were arrested at a house in Barangay Magatas that reportedly served as a “drug market” where Cadeliña’s customers would frequent to buy shabu, Senior Inspector Enreque Asonio, Sibulan Police chief, told The FREEMAN.

Cadeliña and Ligo were arrested after the former was caught transacting sale of shabu with a police officer who posed as a buyer. Three sachets of suspected shabu, a P500 bill used as mark money for the bust, a wallet, and a black motorcycle were seized from the suspects.

The two are now detained at the Sibulan Police Station lock-up cell and are set to face charges of violating Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Asonio noted that Cadeliña has had a record of alleged involvement in illegal drugs, having been tagged as a “high-value target” of the Santa Catalina town police during his stint as a teacher at the Santa Catalina National High School.

He was among the drug suspects the Santa Catalina Police planned to arrest during the launch of Oplan Tokhang in 2016, but he immediately moved to Barangay Batinguel in Dumaguete City, Asonio said.

A police investigator assigned to the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Cadeliña is also facing charges of child abuse involving a former student.

Asked why Cadeliña still continued to teach despite his record, the police investigator said that the cases involving the teacher are still pending in court.

Superintendent Wilfreda Bongalos, of the DepEd’s Negros Oriental Schools Division, said that, as of press time, she could not comment yet on the arrest, because her office is still validating reports of the incident through their legal office.

“Ako pang pangutan-on ang principal (sa Sibulan NHS) bahin niini. Basi naa diay siyay problema sa balay, sa trabaho, I have yet to find that out,” Bongalos told The FREEMAN over the phone.

Bongalos also reiterated that the provincial DepEd is also conducting preventive measures to keep its teachers away from drugs, among them annual drug tests and anti-drug seminars. (FREEMAN)