A BARANGAY chairman in President Rodrigo Duterte's list of Level 2 High Value Targets (HVT) was nabbed during the simultaneous implementation of search warrants in Davao Oriental before dawn Friday, October 19.
In an interview on Saturday, October 20, Police Chief Superintendent Marcelo Morales said they applied before the court for search warrants after building their case against Barangay Chairman Erwin Barabag of Barangay Macangao, Lupon, Davao Oriental and other suspects.
Barabag was arrested after the raiding team recovered from his possession a 45-caliber SN 625897 with magazine loaded with six live ammunition.
Police also said they found two small sized heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride, and one elongated heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu.
Authorities implemented the search warrants around 2:30 a.m. Friday. The warrants for violation of Section 11, Republic Act 9165, also known as the Dangerous Drugs Act, were issued by Judge Emilio G. Dayanghirang III of RTC Branch 32, 11th Judicial Region, Lupon Davao Oriental.
Aside from Barabag, other subjects of search warrants were Ruth Petiluna, Marjun Generale, Em-em Wenceslao, and Baby Shane Palma, all from Lupon, Davao Oriental.
The suspects were brought to Lupon Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.
They will be subjected to medical examination pending their detention.
The seized pieces of evidence were forwarded to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO) Davao Del Norte for forensic quantitative and qualitative examination.
The apprehended suspects will face charges of violation of the provisions of section 11 and 12 of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10591, otherwise known as an Act providing for a Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.