BUSTED. An operative of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducts an inventory of the pieces of evidence seized from an alleged illegal drug seller who introduced himself as an active member of the Philippine Army during a buy-bust operation in Barangay San Miguel, Iligan City on Friday evening (June 5, 2020). The Army's 1st Infantry Division clarified that the suspect, Mcrome Lozada, had been booted out of service since April for unspecified offenses. (Contributed photo)
ILIGAN CITY – Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested on Friday evening a former Army engineer for allegedly selling shabu in a buy-bust operation inside a pension house in Barangay San Miguel here.
PDEA investigating agent Neil Pabilona identified the suspect as Mcrome Lozada, who reportedly introduced himself as an active member of the Philippine Army, with the rank of Private 1st Class (Pfc).
Pabilona said Lozada had been under surveillance for three months for allegedly selling illegal drugs.
"Even during the community quarantine, he was very active in his illegal drug activity," he said.
PDEA operatives said they seized from Lozada eight sachets of suspected shabu weighing 20 grams with an estimated street value of PHP136,000, as well as the PHP500 marked money used in the operation.
Lozada was brought to PDEA's regional office in Cagayan de Oro for drug testing and filing of drug charges under Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
'Discharged'
Meanwhile, the Army's 1st Infantry Division (1ID) on Saturday clarified that Lozada has no longer been an active member of the Philippine Army since April 28.
"Ex-Pvt. Mcrome Lozada, formerly assigned with 500 Combat Engineering Battalion, based in Marawi City, was discharged from military service as of April 28, 2020. He went AWOL (absent without official leave) November last year and refused (to go) for a drug test," the 1ID's Public Affairs Division said in a statement.
According to 1ID, Lozada had previously been discharged for an unspecified reason but was reinstated at the height of the Marawi siege in 2017 because of the military's need for additional troops.
It said Lozada's behavior runs counter to military values and the Army does not tolerate wrongdoing among its personnel.
"In fact, we oblige our personnel to be tested in order to ensure that the organization is clean or drug-free. Likewise, we are cooperating with other law enforcement agencies and we are mandated by our commander-in-chief to intensify our campaign against illegal drugs in the country," the Army division said. (PNA)
