THE Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 conducted yesterday a surprise drug test for the 23 personnel of the Pinamungajan Police Station, including their chief.
No one tested positive.
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, the deputy regional director for operations, said the drug test was planned following the arrest of PO1 Ian Patrick Carvellida, who was allegedly caught sniffing shabu in a drug pusher’s house last Friday night.
The personnel of the Regional Intelligence Division led by its chief, Supt. Rex Derilo, conducted the drug test.
Chief Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., the PRO 7 director, also ordered the relief of the two police officers who are allegedly illegal drug users.
Comendador said the two officers will be transferred to the holding unit of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) pending investigation.
The two officers reportedly sniffed shabu before Carvellida was caught by operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of CPPO.
They allegedly used shabu in the house of Allan Salazar, a level three drug pusher who can dispose of 200 grams of the illegal drug per week.
Salazar was arrested first by PIB, before Carvellida was collared.
The police officer was shot in the right leg after he tried to shoot at the operatives.
The PIB operatives arrested Salazar after he received payment for a pack of shabu.
They confiscated more packs of shabu, two phones and some money remittance receipts from the suspect.
The shabu taken from Salazar weighed 12 grams, which would have fetched P141,600 in the streets, based on estimates set by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Insp. Gilfred Baroman, the Pinamungajan police chief, said Carvellida is his lone investigator and he did not know the latter was hooked on drugs.
Despite the setback, Baroman still continued his efforts against illegal drugs.
At 7:20 p.m., he led his team in arresting Richard Segovia, 18, and confiscated P2,124 worth of shabu from the suspect in a buy-bust in Purok Caimito, Barangay Sibago.