personnel after yielding 54 grams of shabu and 15 grams of marijuana during a buy-bust operation in barangay
Palnab del Norte, Virac last Nov. 15, 2021. Barangay Captain Bernadeth Magtangob, Kagawad Emily Tablizo, and
Jay Gratil of the Provincial Prosecution Office witnesses the inventory of the evidence.
PDEA photos
Twin criminal complaints have been filed against a college sophomore in Virac who was found in possession of P340,000 worth of shabu and marijuana during a buy-bust operation last week.
John Dave Araojo Tablate, 21, could be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty of the crimes of sale and possession of dangerous drugs in violation of Sections 5 and 11, respectively, of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The complaints were filed through inquest proceedings before Atty. Percival Villamartin at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor a day after Tablate was arrested.
According to the report, joint elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Catanduanes headed by Intelligence Officer II Michael Consulta, the Virac police station led by police chief Maj. Antonio Perez, the Catanduanes Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Aviation Security Unit 5 (AVSEU5), and Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) conducted the anti-illegal drug operation commenced at 11:22 AM of Nov. 15, 2021 that led to the arrest of the suspect in barangay Palnab del Sur.
Seized from Tablate were a plastic sachet containing shabu that was the subject of the sale and a self-sealing plastic bag containing dried marijuana leaves, along with a P500 bill used as marked money by the police officer masquerading as buyer.
The shabu, estimated to have a street value of P340,000, was later found to be weighing 54.74 grams during the laboratory examination at the PDEA regional Office while the marijuana, valued at P300, weighed just over 15 grams.
The on-site inventory of the evidence was conducted in the presence of Tablate, as witnessed by Jay Gratil of the Provincial Prosecution Office, Punong Barangay Bernadeth Magtangob, and Barangay Kagawad Emily Tablizo.
The suspect is temporarily detained at the Virac MPS jail facility pending the preliminary investigation of the case.