BAGUMBAYAN, Sultan Kudarat — A suspected High Value Individual (HVI) in the illegal drug trade was arrested after joint operatives of the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided his residence in Sitio Kabuling, Barangay Daguma, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat late on the night of May 18, 2026.
The suspect was identified only by his alias “Love-Love,” a 44-year-old married farmer and resident of the said barangay.
According to a report from the Bagumbayan Municipal Police Station (MPS), the operation was carried out at around 11:30 p.m. by personnel led by Police Captain Remie E. Eiman, deputy chief of police, under the direct supervision of Police Major Ronalyn P. Pineda, chief of police of Bagumbayan.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the 2nd Sultan Kudarat Provincial Mobile Force Company, Sultan Kudarat Police Intelligence Unit, Provincial Intelligence Team-Sultan Kudarat, Regional Intelligence Unit-12, Sultan Kudarat PDEA, and Sultan Kudarat Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit.
Authorities implemented two search warrants issued by Hon. Felix F. Mesa, Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court, 12th Judicial Region, Branch 19 in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, for alleged violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Republic Act 10591 or the Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition Act.
During the search, operatives confiscated four medium-sized and seven small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance believed to be shabu. The illegal drugs weighed approximately 10 grams with an estimated standard drug price of ₱68,000.
Also seized from the suspect were an improvised or homemade shotgun, 13 live rounds of ammunition for a 12-gauge shotgun, a digital weighing scale, a small pouch, a disposable lighter, and a sling bag allegedly used in illegal activities.
Police said the search was conducted in an orderly and lawful manner in the presence of elected barangay officials, media representatives, and the suspect himself as mandatory witnesses to ensure the integrity and transparency of the operation.
Authorities added that the suspect was informed of the nature of his arrest and was apprised of his constitutional rights.
The arrested individual is now under the custody of the Bagumbayan MPS while appropriate charges are being prepared against him. Meanwhile, the confiscated illegal drug items were brought to the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Forensic Unit in Isulan for laboratory examination.
The operation forms part of the continuing intensified campaign of law enforcement agencies against illegal drugs and loose firearms in Sultan Kudarat and nearby areas.