COP NABBED IN DRUG CASE RELEASED

A POLICE officer nabbed for taking illegal drugs was released Friday
morning after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) failed
to file charges for inquest proceedings because of the unavailability of
the assistant prosecutor assigned to handle illegal drugs cases.

CIDG Provincial Head Crisaleo Tolentino stressed that the charges to be
filed against the arrested police officer for allegedly using illegal drugs
in Barangay Looc Wednesday evening would now fall under regular filing.

The suspect, PO3 Simplicio Ricana, Jr., assigned with the 704th Provincial
Mobile Group based in Nagbagang, Sta. Catalina town, was released from
custody around 9 a.m. Friday.

Tolentino said PO3 Ricana has been under surveillance by his men following
reports that he was involved in illegal drugs.

The suspect was caught in the act of sniffing shabu in a hideout in Looc
village and was subsequently arrested along the national highway in front
of Central Visayas Polytechnic College (CVPC) around 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Confiscated from him were big and a small plastic sachets containing shabu,
illegal drug paraphernalia and a Philippine National Police (PNP)
identification card.