ILOILO City – The policeman caught with shabu and who confessed to moonlighting as a drug pusher has been charged with violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Police Officer 2 Stephen Magno was specifically accused at the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office of violating section 12 of the Act (possessing drug paraphernalia), section 11 (possession of illegal drugs) and section 5 (selling illegal drugs).
The 41-year-old Magno, assigned at the Regional Headquarters Support Group of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) in Camp Delgado but detailed at the Arevalo police station, was busted on April 2 in Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo.
No bail was recommended for Magno’s temporary liberty.
Operatives of the PRO-6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) recovered from Magno 34 shabu sachets valued at P70,000.
According to Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, RDEU chief, Magno had a police partner in shabu pushing and a target of the unit, too.
Magno, a licensed civil engineer from Barangay San Juan, Molo district, joined the police service in 2005 and was assigned at the Iloilo City Police Office for the most part of his career.
He was once assigned at the La Paz district police station before he was transferred to the Regional Headquarters Support Group.
Magno was detained at the Arevalo police station. He said he had two young sons to support and that his wife was an overseas Filipino worker.
He also said his shabu sachets came from a certain Balas of Barangay San Juan, Molo but denied knowing Balas’ source.
“I only deal with Balas. I don’t know who his supplier is,” said Magno.
Bermejo, however, believed Magno was just too scared to identify Balas’ source.
“Most of the drug suspects we arrested won’t identify their main sources. They’re afraid they would be killed,” said Bermejo./PN
