Republic of the Philippines Office of the President PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY NIA Northside Road, National Government Center Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City PRESS RELEASE # 532/16 DATE : November 19, 2016 AUTHORITY : ISIDRO S LAPEÑA, PhD, CSEE Director General For more information, comments and suggestions please call: Director DERRICK ARNOLD C. CARREON, CESE, Chief, Public Information Office Tel. No. 929-3244, 927-9702 Loc.131; Cell phone: 09159111585 _________________________________________________________________________ BARANGAY CAPTAIN BUSTED FOR PEDDLING SHABU IN COTABATO A 33-year-old barangay captain was arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) after he sold methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu to a poseur-buyer in Cotabato City on November 18, 2016. PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña identified the suspect as Bimbo Abdulmanan Diolanen, married, an incumbent barangay chairman and resident of Purok 2, Mabini Interior, Bagua 3, Cotabato City. An operative of PDEA Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA RO-ARMM) under Director Edgar Apalla, acted as poseur-buyer and entered into a transaction with Diolanen to facilitate the sale of one plastic sachet of shabu. They agreed to meet in his own barangay in Mabini Interior at around 6:00 in the morning. Upon receiving the buy-bust money, the barangay captain was immediately arrested by PDEA RO-ARMM agents who were strategically positioned. Seized during the operation were 10 plastic sachets of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, weighing approximately 20 grams, with an estimated street value of P100,000, one cal. 45 Springfield Armory pistol containing one magazine loaded with two pieces of ammunition, one homemade shotgun loaded with four pieces of ammunition. Diolanen is an elected barangay kagawad since 2007 and assumed the barangay chieftain’s position in 2016 as the incumbent barangay chairman then, won as City Councilor in the last election. Two months ago, he presented himself before the PDEA RO-ARMM office to clear his name in the illegal drug trade but allegedly continued his illegal drug activity that led to his eventual arrest. Diolanen will be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. A separate case for violation of RA 10591, or The Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Act, will also be filed against him. He is presently under the custody of PDEA RO-ARMM. The same day at around 1:00 in the morning, operatives of PDEA RO12 under Director Lyndon Aspacio conducted an entrapment operation inside a pension house along Tiongson Street, Barangay Lagao, General Santos City which resulted in the arrest of Rowel Quintanilla y Quiapo, 47, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW); and his 17-year-old male cohort. Confiscated from the duo were four plastic sachets of suspected shabu, weighing more or less two grams worth P15,000. Cases for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165 await the arrested suspect. Quintanilla is temporarily detained at PDEA RO12 jail facility while the minor will be turned over to the City’s Social Welfare and Development Office. # # # .