A son of Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang and a companion were arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by agents of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) in an apartelle in Juna Subdivision in Barangay Matina Crossing, Talomo District on Wednesday afternoon.
Lt. Col. Jed Clamor, the officer-in-charge of Toril Police Station that led the operation, identified the suspects as Jossone Michael Dayanghirang alias Johnson, 32, and Rojhel Abear Sanchez alias Ivan.
Clamor said they seized suspected shabu, weighing 13 grams with an estimated street value of P208,000 from Dayanghirang.
Clamor said the name of a certain Johnson always came up as a source of illegal drugs in their investigation, even before he became the Toril police station commander.
As they have traced Johnson, an operation was then set-up with agents of the Intelligence Branch of Davao City Police Office to arrest the suspect.
The drug trade was set-up inside a room at Jasmine Blooms Apartelle along University Avenue in Juna Subdivision around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
An undercover police officer was able to buy a small sachet containing substance believed to be shabu from Johnson.
An arrest was then made.
Clamor said they seized seven different sizes of sachets of shabu, all weighing 13 grams with an estimated street value of P208,000 from Johnson.
Sanchez was allegedly caught in the act of sniffing shabu during the operation.
Also recovered from them were one glass tube with suspected shabu residue with one aluminum foil strip, one improvised aluminum tooter and green disposable lighter with improvised needle.
Non-drug items confiscated included a cellular phone, a pouch, and P500 cash.
Police also recovered the marked money.
The suspects and the confiscated items are presently under the custody of the Toril police precinct pending the filing of proper charges.
Lauded
Gov. Dayanghirang, in a statement, lauded the authorities for the arrest of his son.
Dayanghirang said Johnson is old enough and he should face the charges for what he did.
“We must always take responsibility for our actions,” he said.
The governor said, as a parent, he was saddened by the arrest of his son but he is thankful that his son was arrested alive. “He still has the chance to reform,” the governor said.
The governor admitted that Johnson is his son from a previous relationship when he was a bachelor.
The first time that he learned that Johnson was into illegal drugs, the governor said he immediately put his son in rehabilitation.
He was in rehab twice, the governor said.
Dayanghirang said he brought his son to Manila to have a change in environment and to keep him away from bad influences for his continued reformation.
“But despite my effort, he continued his vices,” Dayanghirang said. “This caused our separation.”
The governor said he never saw his son for six years, and only learned about the arrest on social media.
The governor said he was not remiss in his campaign against illegal drugs in Davao Oriental.
Dayanghirang said Davao Oriental is “only province in the entire country that received a Golden Award (from the Department of the Interior and Local Government) in terms of programs and accomplishments as far as anti-illegal drugs is concerned.”
