AGENTS of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police operatives arrested on Monday, September 20, 2021, a former police officer, another former jail guard, and school personnel for alleged illegal drugs in separate operations in Palo, Leyte and Tacloban City.

Dubcek Tan Agote, an administrative assistant of Tacloban National Agricultural School, was arrested in a joint buy-bust operation in Barangay 94-A Basper Monday afternoon.

Operatives confiscated from Agote more or less five grams of suspected shabu worth P35,000, a genuine P500 bill with serial number AS897521 as buy-bust money, a vehicle, and other personal items, police said in the report.

Joint operatives also apprehended two high-value individuals in Palo, Leyte Monday evening.

The suspects were identified as Carlo Vito Merida, a former policeman, and a resident of Basey, Samar, and Ritchie Abando, a former jail guard of the Leyte Provincial Jail, and a resident of Palo.

As of Monday, authorities have conducted an inventory of the seized drug items.

The suspects will be facing charges for violation of sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (SunStar Philippines)