It wasn’t really a secret in Bayawan City. In fact, reports of drug dealing by one of their policemen, PO2 Victorio Rizaldo, and by Renwil Cadungog, a member of the City’s police auxiliary unit, reached not only the City’s chief of police, but also Bayawan City’s top officials as early as last year.
But nobody had proof. The City turned to the Task Force Kasaligan for help in busting their illegal dealings.
Weeks of intelligence gathering paid off Wednesday night after Rizaldo, 34, and Cadungog, 21, were nabbed in a buy-bust operation by members of the TFK.
National Bureau of Investigation Dumaguete Asst. Chief Miguel Dungog led the TFK team, composed of members of the PNP Provincial Intelligence Branch and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration.
Rizaldo was caught in the act of selling P20,000 worth of shabu to a TFK asset in one of the policeman’s rented apartments at Pink House, Brgy. Suba, Bayawan City.
Acting on a signal from the TFK asset, the operatives moved in to arrest Rizaldo, who by then, had locked himself inside his apartment.
The TFK operatives gained entry into the apartment by destroying the front and back doors, and were greeted by the sight of Rizaldo pointing his shotgun at the TFK operatives. But Rizaldo surrendered when he saw that he was surrounded.
Cadungog, on the other hand, tried to block the lawmen from searching the house but he surrendered after Rizaldo advised him to do so.
After their arrest, Rizaldo and Cadungog also surrendered their “runner” for their drug operation, whom police identified as Florante Taburda.
Dungog said they conducted the operation after they received a request from Bayawan City Mayor Rene Gaudiel and the members of the City Council led by Vice Mayor Ismael Martinez and Councilor Bon Duque, who chairs the Peace and Order Committee in the City Council.
Confiscated from Rizaldo’s apartment were two plastic sachets containing crystals believed to be shabu, P 20,000 in cash, shabu paraphernalia, two cellphones and two digital weighing scales.
The TFK also confiscated from Rizaldo a 12-gauge Akkar Shotgun, one 5.56 caliber Norinco M4 Type Rifle, two caliber .22 long rifles squibman, one caliber 5.56 AK 2000, one 9MM KG9 submachine gun, one caliber 45 NORINCO pistol, two live hand grenades, five fully-loaded AK2000 5.56 caliber magazines, nine fully loaded M16 magazines, two fully loaded KG9 9mm magazines, two fully loaded caliber 45 pistol magazines, one sound suppressor for the KG9, several rounds of 12 gauge shotgun bullets 50 pcs., one box containing 23 pieces of caliber .22 LR, two .38 cal.. handguns, eight .22 cal magnum bullets, and eight rounds for the .45 caliber pistol.
Dungog said Rizaldo and his aides are now facing charges for violating Section 5 and 11 of Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 for selling and possessing drugs, and PD 1866 as amended by RA 8294 for possession of illegal firearms and ammunitions.
Dungog warned the others engaged in drug selling in Bayawan to stop their illegal trade as soon as possible or they, too, will be arrested.
Other members of the Task Force Kasaligan that arrested P02 Victorio Rizaldo were SP03 Douglas Ferrer, P02 Glenn Corsame, P02 Mark Jester Ayunting, P02 Bernard Pedeglorio, P02 Jerry Magsayo, NBI Agent Nick Tagle.
Rizaldo and Cadungog’s boss, Bayawan Chief of Police C/Insp. Errol Garchitorena admitted that he knew of their activities all along. He said he had always warned Rizaldo to stop “if ever he has illegal activities” so as not to destroy the image of the police force. “But Rizaldo did not heed my advice,” he said.
Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt Rey Lyndon Lawas, for his part, said running after drug-dealing policemen is one of his priorities.
“This is part of cleansing our ranks. Let this be a warning to all not only to the police but also to other members of the community who are into illegal activities,” he said. (Neil Rio)