BUY-BUST. An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducts an inventory of the 150 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP1.02 million seized from three high-value suspects in Bacolod City on Thursday afternoon (Dec. 3, 2020). One of the suspects was identified as Jan Michael Astorga, a councilman of Barangay Zone 12-A in neighboring Talisay City. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-Western Visayas)
BACOLOD CITY – A village official in Negros Occidental and his two companions were arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during a buy-bust in Barangay Mandalagan here on Thursday afternoon.
The suspects were identified as Jan Michael Astorga, 32, councilman of Barangay Zone 12-A in neighboring Talisay City; Cris Angelo Abelarde, 31; and Dino Dimson, 25, all considered as high-value targets (HVTs).
At around 3 p.m., operatives of the PDEA-6 (Western Visayas) Special Enforcement Team cornered the three along Buri Road and seized from their possession some 150 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP1.02 million.
The agent who led the operation said on Friday that charges for violation of Section 26 (attempt or conspiracy) in relation to Section 5 (sale), Section 11 (possession), and Section 12 (possession of paraphernalia) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were filed against the suspects before the City Prosecutor’s Office here.
Astorga, son of former Talisay City Councilor Zenia Astorga, was under surveillance by drug enforcement officers for about two weeks before his arrest.
The three suspects are now in the custody of the PDEA-6 Special Enforcement Team. (PNA)
