A man was seen in a video sitting in a waiting shed by the roadside while two operatives from the Dueñas Municipal Police Station were watching over him. Caught on camera was a sachet of suspected shabu that fell from the hand of one of the policemen.

The man was heard saying aloud, “huwag nyo lang akong lagyan, Sir (don’t put it on me, Sir).

The arrested person referred to as alias “Atan,” 38 years old, was found to be a traffic auxiliary of the Local Government Unit of Dueñas.

The said video reaped several reactions and questions on whether the recovered item was “planted” (to mean the item was placed beforehand) by the policemen.

However, according to the chief of Dueñas Municipal Police station, the video that has gone viral, is a trimmed version of what was a lengthy video of the operation.

The chief of police also emphasized that the suspect is a high-value individual (HVI). He further vouched for the legitimacy of the operation.

“It was a legitimate operation. Ang na-capture ng video na putol is hindi yun yung tama,” Captain Jesus Batilante, chief of the Dueñas Municipal Police Station, said.

Batilante said the longer version of the video showed that after the suspect was arrested, the seized item was held by the said operative and that the cop was holding it while the man was asked to take a seat at the waiting shed. However, the sachet of suspected shabu slipped accidentally from his hand.

“Yung nahulog sa lupa, yun yung na-capture ng putol na video na kumakalat ngayon na allegedly, it was planted umano. Pero yun yung pinulot ng ating poseur buyer,” Batilante pointed out.

According to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), it was a case of human error.

“Hindi natin makita yung intention on the part ng operatives na ihulog yun, kundi purely aksidente lang yung pagkakahulog,” Major Rolando Araño, spokesperson of IPPO, said.

The suspected shabu seized from the suspect weighed six grams worth P41,000.

Police have filed charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against the suspect who is now detained at the Dueñas Municipal Police Station.

“Section 5 at Section 11 ng RA 9165. Bale pagbenta ng ilegal na droga at pagtago ng ilegal na droga during sa ating pag-conduct ng recovery sa kanyang possession,” Batilante further said.