A police officer and three lawyers were arrested separately in the cities of Makati and Taguig by police authorities and, in another, with close coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation, officials said Thursday.
National Capital Region Police Office director Guillermo Eleazar identified the drug dealing suspect in Taguig City as Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Amador, 29, resident of 23 F. Providencia Street, Barangay Central Signal, Taguig City.
Eleazar said Amador was arrested in their rented apartment around 8:45 pm on Wednesday.
He added police from the Southern Police District and the NBI made the arrest.
In a related development, and only five days after the raid at Time in Manila, a popular party hub in Makati City, police sought out Thursday a search warrant and found more illegal substance and paraphernalia inside the establishment, police said.
During the search, the authorities placed under arrest three lawyers who, according to Southern Police District spokesperson Jenny Tecson, represented themselves as the legal counsel of the nightclub.
“While the orderly search was ongoing, three personalities who claimed to be lawyers of one of the business owner (sic) of the bar entered the premises, took several pictures and videos of the scene, intimidated the members of the searching team without proper and prior coordination,” said Tecson.
“Eventually, they were placed under arrest for obstruction of justice,” she added.
The SPD identified the “lawyers” as Leni Rocel Elmido Rocha, 22, of San Antonio, Pasig City; Jan Vincent Sambrano Soliven, 32, of Bahayang Pag-asa, Imus Cavite, and Romulo Bernard Alarkon, 33, of Bahay Bukid, Camarines, Caloocan City.
Tecson said around 11:20 am, the Makati City police station led by its chief Senior Supt. Rogelio Simon implemented the warrant issued by Makati City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Elmo Almeda.
The warrant came following the successful raid conducted last Saturday when the SPD and local police operatives nabbed at least 123 customers, 57 of them foreigners, and 31 bar employees, and seized prohibited substance including cocaine, marijuana and party drug ecstasy.
SPD chief Tomas Apolinario, Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar, as well as Makati City Hall and barangay officials were also present when the authorities served the search warrant.
Prior to Amador’s arrest, his 22-year- old wife Michelle went to the NBI, filed a complaint and informed the authorities about the drug dealing and other illegal activity of her husband.
The NBI informed the Southern Police District, where the suspect was recently assigned, and the NCRPO about the wife’s complaint and the entrapment operation ensued which led to the suspect’s arrest.
Recovered from the suspect were five plastic sachets of shabu, one .45-cal. pistol with one magazine, and five live ammunition.
Eleazar, SPD chief Tomas Apolinario Jr., and PNP Director Oscar Albayalde presented Amador to the media Wednesday night at the SPD headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa where the suspect admitted that he was indeed a drug dependent since he became a police officer.
“Yes sir, I am a drug dependent but I am not a pusher,” said Amador when he was asked by Albayalde about his alleged involvement in drug dealing activity.
According to Albayalde, Michelle is a battered housewife, the husband “beating her without apparent reason and she can no longer withstand this uncontrollable behavior of PO1 Amador.”
“She also narrated that before Amador entered the service on December 29, 2014, he was already hooked into drugs. But she is hopeful that Amador will change for the better. However, this did not happen, instead, he becomes her nightmare,” said Albayalde.
The wife already filed a case before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office on June 15, 2018 against Amador for Physical Abuse and Psychological Abuse in relation to RA 9262 (Violence Against Women and their Children).
Police sources said Amador was among the police personnel at the Taguig City Police Community Precinct 1 relieved for kidnapping, usurpation of authority, and violation of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunitions and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
