LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – A barangay kagawad (councilor) running for chairman in the barangay elections was arrested after a search warrant operation in his house here on Friday, October 6, yielded suspected shabu and marijuana.
Police identified the suspect as Windel Tamayo, 38, of Barangay 4, San Guillermo, this city.
Seized from the suspect were 10 heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing one gram with a standard drug price of P6,800, one glass tooter concealed in a camouflage sunglass case, and one self-sealing transparent plastic sachet containing suspected dried marijuana residue.
Tamayo was apprehended on a search warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 11 here on October 3.
The suspect was arrested by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), Regional and Provincial Intelligence Unit, Laoag City Police Station, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Ilocos Norte.
Tamayo was listed as a Top 10 high-value individual in the regional priority list of the Police Regional Office-1.
Suspect and pieces of evidence were taken to the Laoag City Police Station for proper documentation.
Tamayo denied involvement in any illegal drug-related activities, saying that the search warrant was issued to affect his family and candidacy.
He said that the truth about the allegations against him will come out later.
Police Col. Julius C. Suriben, Ilocos Norte police director, reminded the public to remain vigilant and collaborate with the police to safeguard peace in the elections.
“It is imperative that any instances of candidates or politicians abusing their authority to sow discord are promptly reported. Your cooperation plays a vital role in maintaining the tranquility of our society,” said Suriben.