Cop nabbed in drug buy-bust

ORMOC CITY , Philippines   â€“ A policeman of Matag-ob town in Leyte was arrested by the city police for illegal drugs, in a buy-bust operation at a pension house in this city at 2 a.m. yesterday.

The policeman was identified as PO1 Bernard Alvarez, 32, who went by the alias “Erwin” Alvarez. He was a native of Dagami town in Leyte and was admitted to the police service in 2010. He had three children, had problems with his wife and was reportedly on leave.

Alvarez had a companion, only known as “Mark,” who was able to escape during the commotion of the raid, bringing with him the drug bust’s marked money of two P500 bills.

Chief Insp. Ibrahim Jambiran, chief of the Ormoc City Police Station I, said the arrest of Alvarez was the result of more than a week surveillance and two test buys. He said they received information that shabu was selling like hotcake in the pension house and that the dealer was named “Erwin Alvarez.”

Yesterday morning, the City Police sent a poseur-buyer to buy shabu. Alvarez and Mark entertained the poseur but the latter, suspecting it might be a trap, ran away and escaped. Alvarez, on the other hand, ran back to the pension house but the police trapped him in the room.

While Alvarez denied involvement in the illegal drug use and trade, he pointed to Mark as the culprit. The raiding team however found two sachets of suspected shabu inside his pocket, plus foils and other drug paraphernalia littering the floor in the room.

Lodging house workers confirmed that Alvarez was their guest for some time. They said that he seldom gets out of the room and usually gets drinking water when he does.

Jambiran said the city policemen learned that Alvarez was also a policeman after they saw his PNP identification card and confiscated his government-issued 9mm gun, which is now in the custody of the supply officer of the Ormoc City Police Office. 

Meanwhile, Inspector Christopher Pangue, chief of the Matag-ob Police, admitted he has “a lot on his plate” and that he had just assumed his position only last April 21.

In a phone interview, Pangue told The Freeman he has not even met Alvarez personally yet. Right after he took over the post as police chief, he was told by his men that Alvarez seldom reported because he was the “laiason officer,” cheekily dubbed as “layas-layas” officer by his colleagues.

Pangue said he gave Alvarez some leeway and waited until Thursday, last week, for him to report. Instead of reporting, however, Alvarez reportedly texted him he had the flu. The next thing he knew about Alvarez was yesterday morning when the latter was caught in Ormoc for alleged drug possession.  (FREEMAN)