Twin charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against an employee of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) who was arrested by the Catanduanes police in a drug buy-bust operation in Virac last week.
The report of the Virac Municipal Police Station headed by police chief PMaj. Kenneth Ding C. Gutierrez identified the suspect only as a certain “Dino”, 58, a government employee from Virgin St. in barangay Calatagan Tibang.
However, reliable sources identified him as one Dindo Zausa Manlangit, who had been tagged in the police report as a High-Value Individual in the local illegal drugs trade.
He was arrested at 7:54 PM of Sept. 29, 2026 along a road in the barangay after handing over a sachet of suspected shabu to the undercover police officer.
Aside from the sachet that was the subject of the sale with an estimated weight of 5.03 grams, the police searcher also recovered in his possession three other similar sachets containing white crystalline granules believed to be shabu.
Altogether, the suspected dangerous drugs confiscated from Manlangit by the elements of the Virac MPS, Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU), the Catanduanes Police Intelligence Unit (CatPIU) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) amounted to a total of 22.45 grams with an estimated street value of P152,660.00.
The team also seized several non-drug items, including the Yamaha MIO 125i (948EKB) the suspect was using at the time, a genuine P1,000 bill and 23 counterfeit bills of the same denomination used as “budol” money, an Oppo cellphone, Realme cellphone, 10 sticks of Red Camel cigarettes, a black folding wallet and a black tool pouch where three of the sachets were found.
Marking of the evidence was done at the place of the incident in the presence of a barangay kagawad and a representative from the Department of Justice (DOJ), with the operating team using two (2) units of Body Worn Camera during the operation in compliance with a Supreme Court resolution.
The seized items were properly photographed, sealed, and turned over to the Investigator-on-Case for documentation and the preparation of the Request for Laboratory Examination.
Verification conducted by the Virac MPS through the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS), PNP e-Rogue and e-Warrant systems showed that the suspect has no standing warrant of arrest for any other case.
Manlangit will be charged for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 for the sale and possession of dangerous drugs.
Under said law, the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of at least P500,000.00 awaits any person found guilty of the sale of dangerous drugs.
A similar penalty is imposed for possession: life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P400,000.00 to P500,000.00, if the quantity of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” is ten (10) grams or more but less than fifty (50) grams.
On the other hand, Section 28 provides that the maximum penalties shall be imposed, in addition to absolute perpetual disqualification from any public office, if those found guilty of such unlawful acts are government officials and employees.