Cagayan de Oro City – A regular employee of the Cagayan de Oro City government was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-10) Regional Special Enforcement Team, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) RIU-10 and Cagayan de Oro City Police Station 10, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
The suspect, identified by authorities as “Dante,” 43, married, and a resident of Zone 1, Barangay FS Catanico, is a permanent employee assigned at the City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office of the local government.
The operation, carried out at around 11:50 a.m. in FS Catanico, resulted in the confiscation of seven rectangular heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu. The seized drugs weighed approximately three grams, with a standard drug value estimated at ₱20,400. Authorities also recovered the marked buy-bust money used in the transaction.
PDEA-10 Regional Director Alex M. Tablate confirmed that the suspect is considered a high-value target (HVT) in the agency’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
The arrested government employee now faces charges for violating Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The suspect is currently under PDEA-10 custody pending the filing of appropriate cases in court.