A legal officer of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) while implementing a search warrant in Cagayan de Oro City on January 24.

In a statement Saturday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino identified the suspect as Mario Jay S. Pielago, 54 years old, a resident of Paz Neri Street, RER Subdivision, Barangay Kauswagan.

Pielago is the chief legal officer of the regional DAR office in Cagayan de Oro City.

About 10:40 in the morning, elements of PDEA Regional Office, Misamis Oriental Provincial Office under Director Wilkins Villanueva, with the support of Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO)-City Intelligence Branch (CIB) arrested Pielago following a lawful search in his house in RER Subdivision.

Seized during the operation were three plastic sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, weighing more or less 15 grams, with an estimated street value of P75,000 and various drug paraphernalia.

Cases for violation of Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 12 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia), Article II, of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared for filing in court against Pielago, who is detained at PDEA regional jail facility in Cagayan de Oro City. DMS