RSOG nabs notorious “pusher” in Leyte town fiesta drug bust

Amidst the merriment of the fiesta celebration and while his neighbors were busy entertaining their guests, Gorgonio Señase was also busy plying his trade, albeit an illegal one which is selling methamphetamine hydrochloride, popularly known to his customers as “shabu”.

But unknown to Señase, he had been under close surveillance for weeks by the elite Regional Special Operations Group 8 (RSOG 8) that was able to secure a search warrant for illegal drugs at his residence and was just waiting for proper time to stamp out his illegal activities. “Our operatives were also able to lure him into entering a drug deal and that was the ideal opportunity to also set up a buy-bust operation,” said PCSupt. Elmer R. Soria, director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8).

The opportunity came on Sunday as the suspect’s hometown Dulag, a third-class coastal municipality some 36 kilometers south of Tacloban City, was celebrating the town fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Refuge. A buy-bust operation at around 8:30 a.m. in front of Señase’s house along Burgos St. in Brgy. Buntay by RSOG led by PSInsp. Dinvir Revita resulted in the arrest of the 37-year old suspect and the confiscation of one small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected “shabu” and the P1000-bill used as buy-bust money, the police official informed.

Subsequent search at the suspect’s residence based on search warrant issued by Evelyn Ri?os-Lesigues, vice executive judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 8, resulted in the recovery of two medium-sized and six small-sized plastic sachet containing suspected “shabu” and several drug paraphernalia. Soria informed that the search was conducted in an orderly manner and witnessed by representatives from Department of Justice, media and elected barangay officials of Brgy. Buntay.

The police official added that suspect and the confiscated items were brought to Dulag police station for documentation and brought to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office for temporary safekeeping.

“Drug charges are now being prepared for filing against the suspect while the suspected drugs were brought to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office for qualitative and quantitative examination and determination of the presence of methamphetamine contents,” the police regional director disclosed.

“Señase’s arrest will minimize the proliferations of illegal drugs in the streets of Dulag and neighboring towns,” Soria added as he lauded the PNP personnel involved in the successful operation.