NCRPO arrests police corporal in drug buy-bust op

On Sunday, NCRPO operatives arrested a police corporal named Neil Bagunu in Parañaque City during a drug buy-bust operation.

Bagunu, 31 years old and assigned at the National Police Training Institute, was caught receiving marked money from a poseur buyer for shabu around 2:30 am; he had previously been implicated in illegal-drug activities and is also facing proceedings for going AWOL.

The arrest yielded drug paraphernalia worth PHP136,000 and a .45-caliber pistol, and Bagunu tested positive for drugs but denied the allegations, claiming that police targeted him due to his reports of corruption.

Since July last year, over 500 policemen in Metro Manila have been dismissed as part of the NCRPO's internal cleansing efforts; around 800 officers had been found guilty of violations, though not all warranted dismissal from service.

Complaints for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Illegal Possession of Firearms were filed against Bagunu.