BONTOC, Mountain Province– Philip Joseph Sanchez Quipit, 31 years old, single, unemployed and resident of No. 3 Greenville, Merville Park, Parañaque City was arrested in a checkpoint at Sitio Latang, Barangay Tocucan, Bontoc, Mountain Province along the Kalinga-Bontoc Road at about 12:40 PM of August 9, 2016.
Information was received by the personnel of Bontoc Municipal Police Station that a vehicle allegedly loaded with suspected marijuana is on its way from Kalinga proceeding towards Bontoc with the description of the male person possessing it.
Joint personnel of this station together with elements from the Provincial Anti-illegal Drug Unit, Provincial Intelligence Branch, Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Branch and CIDU-Mountain Province led by PSI Richard Soliven immediately conducted checkpoint operation at Sitio Latang, Tocucan, Bontoc.
The team flagged down a Ford Fiera bearing plate number AYA 256, driven by Jefferson Filowan, 22 years old and a resident of Poblacion, Sadanga, Mountain Province.
During the conduct of visual search inside the vehicle, a male person that fits the description of the informant was seen inside by SPO2 Gilbert Batane, SAIDU PNCO, Bontoc MPS. When the male person was requested that his backpack be inspected, he voluntarily opened it in the presence of other passengers, the driver and the helper.
Subject person brought out the contents of his pack and the black pouch containing suspected two bricks of Marijuana wrapped with transparent cellophane and a blue pouch containing suspected three balls of marijuana hashis also wrapped with transparent cellophane and two bags of coffee powder.
Inventory of seized items was conducted at the place of arrest in the presence of Atty. Fonda Laking, DOJ representative, Brynner Bandonil, Poblacion Barangay Chairman and the subject person.
The two suspected marijuana bricks and three balls marijuana hashish weighed approximately 534.2 grams with Dangerous Drugs Board value of P133,550.00. The seized items were brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory at the Police Regional Office Cordillera for qualitative examination while the subject person was put under the custody of the Bontoc Municipal Police Station for further investigation and preparation of documents for referral to the Provincial Prosecution Office.
A Professional Regulation Commission identification card in his possession indicates that he is a registered nurse.
At about 3:20 PM of August 10, a case of Violation of R.A. 9165 against the suspect was duly indorsed to the Provincial Prosecution Office, Justice Hall, Poblacion, Bontoc, and duly subscribed by Atty. Hazel Montero, assistant provincial prosecutor.
Subsequently the case was filed before the Regional Trial Court, First Judicial Region, Bontoc, thus the said accused was duly committed to the Mountain Province District Jail by virtue of a commitment order issued by Judge Joseph Patnaan with no bail recommended.
Quipit declined to be interviewed on cam by this writer in the afternoon of August 11 at the MP District Jail. **Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
