One of the three individuals arrested by the Virac police in last week’s buy-bust operation turned out to have five (5) cases of violence against women and children pending before a local court.
Those apprehended in the anti-illegal drug operation last April 29, 2026 at about 4 PM in barangay Palnab del Sur were PLDT installer Froilan Valeza Araojo, 48, of Palnab del Sur, tagged by the police as a Street Level Individual, and Palnab del Norte residents Randy Lopez de Leon, 42, a drug surrenderer, and Billy James Tabuzo Talan, 31, a teacher.
The trio were placed under arrest after allegedly selling shabu to an undercover police officer in the operation conducted by the Virac Municipal Police Station led by PCpt. Rhandy R. Rapesora under the overall supervision of police chief PMaj. Kenneth Ding C. Gutierrez, together with elements of the Catanduanes Police Intelligence Unit (CatPIU) and the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 5 (RPDEU 5), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional office.
Verification with the PNP’s Crime Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) showed that Randy de Leon, has five pending cases for violation of Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, with the police waiting for the local court’s issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Among the evidence confiscated from the suspects were four plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and a piece of glass tube with suspected shabu residue.
Also seized were several non-drug items, including a genuine P500 bill, a counterfeit P500 bill, four smartphones, assorted crumpled aluminum foils, a piece of white paper, a needle, and cigarette lighter.
The evidence was inventoried on site in the presence of designated witnesses, including a barangay kagawad and a media representative.
The suspects were subjected to a drug test at the Provincial Forensic Unit at Camp Francisco Camacho while the drug evidence will be brought for laboratory examination at the Regional Forensic Unit at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City.