Mayor in Abra, five others arrested over illegal drugs possession

By Ronron
February 12, 2007

A mayor in Abra province and five other people, including his two children, were arrested over the weekend after they were found during a buy-bust operation to be in possession of the illegal drugs “shabu.”

A police report reaching Camp Crame in Quezon City identified the local chief executive as Felix Castillo, 67, incumbent Mayor of Langiden town, and his two children as Evelyn, 37, and Nonito Wilbur, 33, a Sangguniang Bayan member of Danglas town.

The three others were civilians Cristina Molina, 20, an alleged mistress of Nonito; Diony Trinidad, 32; and, Rodel Panelo, 29.

The report said the six were arrested at around 10:30 pm last Saturday at the mayor’s residence at Barangay Zone 4 in Bangued town during a buy-bust operation by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Task Force Abra and the Bangued Municipal Police Station.

Confiscated from Castillo’s residence were 29 sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, popularly known as shabu, with a total weight of 104.5 grams and a market value, according to the Dangerous Drugs Board, of P522,500.00.

Police also recovered a weighing scale, shabu kit and other drug paraphernalia.

All items were immediately turned over to the Crime Laboratory office of the Cordillera Police Regional Office for analysis and documentation, while the arrested suspects were detained at the Bangued MPS.

A case for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) was already filed against the six on Monday morning at the Abra Provincial Prosecutor’s Office./DMS