2 sources come up with versions of incident

This is one big story where media was at a quandary on how to treat the news the way it used to be. A check with the competing media outlet showed that they are in the same predicament. Make it known here that no police report, official or otherwise, was available for media to feast on this big-ticket item. In the case of this paper, at least two versions were furnished its editorial offices yesterday with nobody owning ownership although the two sets of information were clearly cut out from two government agencies trying to outsmart each other. Worst, the two, most likely, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency(PDEA) and the Philippine National Police were trading accusations in the manner of treating a “hot potato”,-- that was the arrest of a police asset cum drug personality. Who really is Sherwin Bautista y Lofranco, 38, a native of Inabanga town and now the object of speculation as to his role in the lucrative drug trade in Bohol and claimed by no less than S/Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr. as a police asset?

As to his role in the drug business, Col. Barot confirmed that Bautista used to be a prominent drug personality until he “turned a new leaf” to become a police asset. A check with the Inabanga police showed that Bautista was known in the town to be involved in drug deals. The Inabanga police said he is also in the illegal numbers game known as “swertres”. But a clandestine press release sent to the Post late yesterday afternoon from somebody who refused to be identified shot down whatever good reviews on the person of Bautista. The messenger said he was only requested by somebody to hand down the press release to the Post. The press release which was attached with P6,000 for supposed payment if printed as an ad form demolished whatever pontifications the PNP had about the asset aspect of the drug suspect. (The Post is returning the money to whoever sent it during the publisher’s radio program over DYTR tomorrow).

According to the same press statement whose only sign of ownership was “Concern Citizens of Tagbilaran”, the people wanted to know the circumstances behind the arrest in Loon of Bautista made by PDEA agents in cooperation with the special forces of the Philippine Army. The statement said the people would not be surprised if the Loon arrest was connected with the recent apprehension of a PDEA agent identified as IO1 Steven Valles who was tagged by the apprehending officers as having engaged in the drug trade. A special unit of the Bohol PNP carried out the arrest of the PDEA agent suspected of being a drug supplier. With the arrest of Sherwin Bautista, the so-called concerned citizens wondered, when they heard over the radio in an interview with the suspect himself, that the reason he was arrested because the marked money used in the buy-bust operations of Valles was his.

The same radio interview revealed that they were also at a loss why Bautista was not informed earlier what was the borrowed money for. He only learned later that it was used in the buy bust to bag Valles. In the vernacular, the anonymous statement further said: “Nadungog usab namo nga dunay pulis miangkon nga ang maong suspek matud pa, iya kunong confidential asset. Ug usab nakadungog kami ug inpormasyon nga dihay mga enforcers sa gobyerno nga nakit-an sa PDEA nga maoy kanunay magback-up sa suspek sa dihang ang suspek gimanmanan sa taga PDEA sa pila ka mga adlaw.” Summing up, the report questioning the credential of the so-called police asset minced no words when its authors questioned why police allegedly acted as back up of a suspected drug lord. The PDEA tagged him as Level 1 drug personality, the highest in the hierarchy of drug suspects. Leaving a hanging question, the statement asked what was the motive of the drug suspect and the police in coordinating against the PDEA. Were not the two “the best of friends” and was supposed to be unmasked so that the people may know? the statement concluded.

THE OTHER SIDE

The other side of the story which also came from another anonymous source detailed about how Bautista was arrested last Thursday while participating a motor cross in Loon. Described by eyewitness accounts as like a ‘war zone” when the arresting officers swooped down on the high value target, the people scampered to different directions upon seeing the uniformed men. The same account said the arrest was made by more than 15 armed men who represented themselves as PDEA agents and backed up by another group of heavily armed men numbering about 50. Further investigation showed that the later were members of the Philippine Army. Overkill was another description as the apprehending men appeared from behind and ordered the racers to drop to the group. The motor cross participants were already mounting their bikes for the daredevil run only to be stopped by the armed men. Zeroing in on its target, the arresting officers pressed Bautista down with the butts of their long arms even when he already dropped to the ground, the same anonymous statement narrated.

Then without much ado, the statement further said, the men arrested Bautista without benefit of a warrant of arrest and or search warrant. With the mention of a warrant, the Post discovered the “dead giveaway” as to who sent the statement to the Post. Calling the “usual suspect”, the sender who eventually admitted ownership after “his slip was showing”, however, asked the Post to withheld his identity pending completion of legal documents he prepared for the benefit of his client. But his narration of facts continued: When Sherwin was picked up and arrested, he was brought to several places from around 4:00 pm up to around 2:00 am of Sept. 9. The informant said that Sherwin was subjected to physical abuse by the PDEA men at their office. He was finally brought and detained at the PNP in Camp Dagohoy after the city police refused to take in. Another giveaway of the statement was the narration of facts: It is worth stressing that no “buy bust” operation actually transpired between Sherwin and the persons who arrested him, or any other person for the matter. It would have been impossible for such sale to have transpired at the time when Sherwin was a participant of a motorcycling event and was in fact about to mount his motorcycle and his hands were already on the handle of the bike as the race was about to start.

According to the same statement, Sherwin when ordered to drop to the ground, he complied giving rise to the question if indeed he was arrested for drug possession would it be prudent for him to do it knowing that the place was teeming with people. The statement further argued that even if granting that indeed the alleged buy bust operation did transpire, it still cannot be considered as such in contemplation of the law, since it lacked the essential element of delivery of payment. It further said there was no cash or money that was presented or documented during the course of these events were the alleged two sachets of shabu and no other, which falls short of the element of delivery of payment required in buy-bust operations. As to the whereabouts of the suspect, he is now locked up at the PNP jail in Camp Dagohoy awaiting proper charges.

3 MORE DRUG SUSPECTS FALL

Meanwhile, the week that was saw the arrest of three drug personalities including a ranking drug suspect from Loboc who was arrested in a KTV Bar along Visarra St., this city Arrested at the Honeybee KTV along Visarra St was Ritche Lolong y Ancla, a resident of Agape, Loboc town. Two cases were filed against him for violation of Art. 11, Sec. 5 of R.A. 9165 and violation of Art 11, Section 11 of R.A. 9165. The two cases were for violations of the Dangerous Drug Act as amended and now pending before the City Prosecutor’s Office. Also confiscated in his possession were a 38 cal revolver, a Suzuki motorcycle, packets of shabu, cash money totaling more than P4,000 and other drug paraphernalia. The accused has two more drug cases pending before the RTC Branch 50. He is out on bail until his recent arrest. The other drug suspects arrested last week were identified as Danilo Cosicol of legal age, married and a resident of barangay Campao Occidental, Getafe town and Mark Chris Padilla of legal age, married and a resident of Fatima, Ubay, Bohol. They were nabbed during a police raid conducted by the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Bohol PNP. Seized in their possession were 16 sachets of shabu, buy bust money and other drug paraphernalia.