KORONADAL CITY — A barangay official tagged as a High-Value Individual (HVI) in the illegal drug trade was arrested along with an accomplice during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Koronadal City, on May 28, 2025.
The joint anti-drug operation was carried out by elements of the Koronadal City Police Station, the Provincial Intelligence Unit and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of South Cotabato Police Provincial Office, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region XII (PDEA XII).
Arrested were alias “Jack,” 45, a sitting Barangay Kagawad and listed HVI, and alias “Dudi,” 47, a driver identified as a street-level drug peddler. Both are residents of Koronadal City.
Authorities confiscated three sachets of suspected shabu weighing approximately 10 grams, with an estimated street value of ₱68,000. Also recovered was the ₱500 marked money used in the buy-bust operation.
The suspects are currently detained at the Koronadal City Police Station pending documentation and the filing of charges. The seized drugs will be submitted to the South Cotabato Provincial Forensic Unit for laboratory analysis.
PBGEN Arnold P. Ardiente, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 12, issued a strong warning following the operation.
“Let this serve as a stern reminder that no one is above the law. The PNP does not play preferences; anyone who chooses to break the law will be held accountable. We remain firm in our mission to rid SOCCSKSARGEN of illegal drugs and uphold the rule of law without fear or favor,” Ardiente said.