Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 27) — A Philippine Army reservist was among three suspects arrested in a buy bust operation at a mall parking lot in Quezon City, authorities said Saturday.
The reservist, identified as Private First Class Omar Salillaguia Pagayawan, 35, was a volunteer in one of the checkpoints and not an active personnel of the Army, a statement from the Joint Task Force National Capital Region said.
Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Quezon City police reported seizing a kilo of shabu estimated by the authorities to have a market value of around ₱6.8 million, buy bust money and a motorcycle.
The Philippine Army committed to investigate the incident. “If found guilty, he will be expelled as a reservist,” it said in a statement.
The two other suspects were identified as company driver Amel Abdul, 31; and a certain Jonaid Londoy, 27.
The Joint Task Force NCR said it requested the delisting of Pagayawan, a member of the Regional Community Defense Group whose voluntary duty in Pasay City ended on June 15.
Apart from illegal drugs and usurpation or unlawful use of authority, Pagayawan will face illegal use of uniform or insignia charges “since he is wearing uniform with patches and insignias without authority,” the task force said.
