LORETO, Agusan del Sur — A public school teacher—expected to guide young minds and uphold integrity inside the classroom—now finds himself at the center of a drug case after being arrested in a police buy-bust operation that uncovered suspected shabu in his possession.
Authorities identified the suspect as alias “Eph-Eph,” 34, married, a public school teacher and resident of Purok 2, Barangay Waloe, in the municipality of Loreto. Police described him as a street-level individual allegedly involved in illegal drug activity.
The arrest took place at around 8:01 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2026, in Purok 5, Barangay Waloe, following a coordinated anti-illegal drug operation conducted by the Loreto Municipal Police Station under the supervision of Acting Chief of Police PCPT Alvin A. De Castro, in coordination with the Agusan del Sur Provincial Intelligence Unit and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to police, the operation was carried out through a buy-bust arrangement backed by PDEA pre-operation authority and intelligence monitoring. Officers moved in after the suspect allegedly sold illegal drugs to an undercover operative, leading to his immediate arrest.
Seized from the suspect were several pieces of evidence, including one heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu weighing about 0.40 gram, which served as the buy-bust item and had an estimated value of ₱2,720 based on standard drug prices set by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Authorities also recovered two additional sachets containing suspected shabu with a combined weight of approximately 0.80 gram, valued at about ₱5,440. In total, police confiscated around 1.2 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱8,160.
Also taken from the suspect’s possession were the marked ₱500 buy-bust money used during the operation, a black wallet containing a personal identification card, and a black backpack.
Investigators said the confiscated items were properly marked and inventoried at the scene in the presence of the arrested suspect and witnesses, following standard operating procedures in drug enforcement operations.
Police stressed the gravity of the case, noting that the suspect’s profession as a public school teacher raises serious concerns about the influence of illegal drugs within communities and the responsibility of educators to serve as role models, especially to the youth.
“This operation sends a strong message that no one is above the law,” authorities said, emphasizing that the government’s anti-drug campaign will continue regardless of a suspect’s status or profession.
The suspect is now under the custody of the Loreto Municipal Police Station while authorities prepare the filing of appropriate charges for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Officials reiterated that the arrest underscores the continuing effort of law enforcement agencies to crack down on the illegal drug trade in communities across Agusan del Sur, warning that individuals involved in the drug network—even those entrusted with educating the next generation—will face the full force of the law.