THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has ordered an investigation into reports that the erstwhile information officer of Davao City was among those nabbed but was later freed by its agents in a buy-bust operation during a beach party in Davao de Oro last Saturday.
Interviewed over the ABS-CBN News Channel, PDEA Davao region Director Aileen Lovitos said claims by some of the 17 arrested suspects that Jefry Tupas was freed after being arrested remains an allegation.
Lovitos maintained that only 17, led by party organizer Revsan Elizalde, who was described by officials as a high-value target in the war against drugs, were apprehended during the operation.
The suspects attending a beach party in Mabini town yielded assorted illegal drugs, worth around P1.5 million.
The suspects alleged that some 50 people attended the beach party, including Tupas, who was freed along with two companions, after he introduced himself as a staff of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
“We arrested 17 drug personalities and we don’t know why there are information like this,” said Lovitos.
Tupas admitted attending the party but said he was no longer around when PDEA agents arrived. He said he left the place an hour before the arrival of the anti-narcotics men.
Last Tuesday, the office of Sara Duterte announced it had terminated the services of Tupas.
Lovitos said the PDEA has referred the case against Elizalde and the other suspects before the fiscal’s office.
More than P1 million worth of suspected shabu was seized and seven suspected illegal drug pushers were arrested in anti-illegal drug stings in Quezon City from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning.
Police identified two of suspects as Ambrocio Fernandez, 57; and Helen Aguirre, 49. Seized from them were 12 grams of shabu with a street value of P81,600 and two cellular phones.
Also nabbed were Jericho Soriano alias “Ken,” 21; Moctar Abas, 31; Rogelio Marquez alias “Asiong,” 38; Fernando Abuid alias “Bok,” 39; and Jeffrey Dormile, 21. — With Noel Talacay
