CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Philippine Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion (58IB) has vowed to intensify its own measures against illegal drugs after two active soldiers were among the suspects arrested during a search warrant implementation in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental on Aug. 29.
Apart from the consistent random drug testing, Lt. Col. Ricky Canatoy, the 58IB commanding officer, told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview Tuesday, Aug. 30, that they also continuously reminded their personnel not to be involved in any illegal activities as they are from one of the agencies that promote peace and order.
“Maybe they have their reasons but we always remind them that that is prohibited. The army did not tolerate the said action,” Canatoy said.
The 58IB commanding officer confirmed that the arrested soldiers identified as Sergeant Ernie Kabingue of Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City and Private John Rey Patindol of San Fernando, Bukidnon are active members of the Philippine Army.
Patindol is currently assigned at 58IB, while Kabingue used to be a personnel of 58IB but he was reassigned to another unit.
In a report from the Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office, the operatives from Tagoloan police station served the search warrant to the house owned by Gilbeys Laurence Emata.
Police Capt. Enrique Dungog, the Tagoloan OIC police chief, said in a separate phone interview that apart from Emata, three other individuals - the two soldiers confirmed by 58IB and a certain Abulkhair Macadato - were already inside the said residence during the implementation of the search warrant.
“Regarding if the other suspects are blood-related to the subject of the search warrant, it seems vague since they have different surnames and middle names to the subject person,” Dungog said in vernacular.
The police authorities have recovered a total of five grams of shabu from the possession of the suspects with an estimated market value of P34,000. The two government-issued firearms from the arrested soldiers were also recovered.
The Tagoloan police chief said the four arrested suspects tested positive for illegal drug use, according to the confirmation from the Forensic unit.
The 58IB will conduct a parallel investigation of the incident. If the soldiers were found guilty, they would be discharged from the service.
Aside from the effect on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) organization, Canatoy urged Army personnel not to get involved in illegal drugs as it would also affect the lives of their family.
“We should focus more on our job, our mission and we should do our best to provide good service to the people,” he stressed.
As of this writing, the suspects are currently detained at the custodial facility of Tagoloan Municipal Police Station for filing of cases.