BSKE bet held for drugs

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — A candidate in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) was arrested for alleged possession of illegal drugs in Bontoc, Mountain Province on Saturday.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified the suspect as Alex Balteo, who is running for village chief in Barangay Alab.

Reports said that PDEA agents raided Balteo’s house and recovered shabu with an estimated street value of P390,626.

PDEA-Cordillera director Julius Paderes said that aside from shabu, the raiding team seized drug paraphernalia, a pistol and ammunition from the suspect’s house.

On the same day, anti-narcotics agents destroyed 17,000 marijuana plants worth P3.4 million in a remote plantation in nearby Sadanga town.

No one was arrested during the anti-narcotics operation in Barangay Saclit.

On Sunday, PDEA agents overran six marijuana plantations in Kibungan, Benguet, where they destroyed at least 13,200 fully grown marijuana plants and seedlings.