Cop, 2 others nabbed for illegal drugs in Tarlac

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga – Police reports on Saturday said a policeman and his two companions were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Gerona town in Tarlac province Friday night (September 10).

In a statement sent to local media, Police Regional Office 3 director Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon identified the arrested policeman as Police Corporal Geymar Orquero, a resident of Sto. Domingo village in Tarlac City, who is assigned at the Tarlac City police station.

He also identified the two other suspects as Marvin Gadia, a resident of Calayaan village in Gerona who is in the police list of suspected drug personalities, and Joel Umagat, a resident of the same village where Orquero resides.

De Leon said the trio was arrested by joint teams from the drug enforcement units of Gerona police, Tarlac provincial police and operatives from the Tarlac City police.

He said operatives were able to confiscate from the suspects 10 pieces of small transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu (crystal meth) and drugs paraphernalia after the operation in Calayaan village.

Operatives also confiscated Orquero’s service firearm, a Glock 17 with live bullets, and recovered the marked P1,000 bill used in the sting operation.

De Leon said Orquero was an intelligence operative of Anao municipal police in 2018 and assigned to the drug enforcement unit of Concepcion police in 2019. He said the police corporal was linked to a female drug suspect who was arrested in November 2018 for alleged violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“His (Orquero) actions were a complete betrayal of public trust and confidence and have no place in the PNP (Philippine National Police). We will not condone this as we continue to remain vigilant and will continue to pursue scalawags and rogue cops vigorously,” De Leon said, adding that he had ordered a pre-charge investigation and summary dismissal proceedings against the suspect.

De Leon said national police chief Gen Guillermo Eleazar was already informed about Orquero’s arrest and directed the Central Luzon police to conduct a deeper investigation to determine if there are other policemen who are in cahoots with the suspect.

De Leon said he had ordered the PRO3 intelligence division and all provincial and city directors in Central Luzon “to conduct background checks on all personnel of drug enforcement units.”