By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre

LINGAYEN - Four members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) now face kidnap for ransom charges for allegedly abducting and extorting money from two suspected illegal drug pushers from barangay Alac, San Quintin town last Thursday.
The case is non-bailable.
Senior Supt. Alan L. Purisima, Pangasinan police provincial director, identified the four who were arrested in a dragnet operation as Chief Inspector Porferio Calagan, Senior Police Officers IV Marquez Madlon and Arthur Lucas, and PO2 Edwin Garcia.
Calagan is said to be the top graduate of PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy) Class of 1996.

They are also facing a case for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Illegal Drugs Act) for having in their possession during the entrapment operation four sachets containing suspected shabu.
In a press conference last Friday afternoon, Chief Supt. Leopoldo N. Bataoil reported that the substance, which weighed 1. 45 grams was determined to be shabu at the Police Crime Laboratory in Urdaneta City.
The operation that led to the arrest of the four was conducted by elements of the 107th Provincial Mobile Group, Region 1 Mobile Group and the police stations of San Quintin, Tayug, and Sta. Maria under the supervision of Purisima and Supt. Noli G. Taliño, assistant provincial police director for operations .
Seized from the suspects were four sachets of shabu, three plate numbers, aToyota Revo and other items.
Bataoil said the four were disarmed and their PNP IDs and badges confiscated.
Regional police agents are also tracking down two unidentified companions of the four PDEA agents who escaped the dragnet operation.
Bataoil said the two could have taken with them the alleged pay-off money amounting to P110,000. He said investigators were not able to get the names of the two as the four refused to cooperate and name their companions.
Cartographic sketches of the two will be compared with the personnel file of PDEA-Cordillera.
Initial investigation disclosed that at about 9 a.m. last Thursday, the group of PDEA-CAR led by Calagan onboard a white Toyota Revo with plate number AEB-856 abducted Denver Evangelista,32, and Liza Marquez, 40, both of barangay Alac, San Quintin.
The PDEA-Cordillera agents allegedly drove the two around the sixth district of Pangasinan while demanding P400,000 for their freedom, and for them not to be charged for their supposed possession of four sachets of shabu.
Evangelista and Marquez were allegedly shown the sachets of shabu, and threatened of charges
The group had lunch in Asingan town. The pay-off allegedly happened at a gasoline station in Sta. Maria with Evangelista’s uncle reportedly bringing over and handing the amount being demanded which had been reduced to P150,000.
Evangelista was released after the two were able to produce P110,000. Marquez however was held by the PDEA agents supposedly until the balance of P40,000 is given. When the composite police team pounced on the suspects, two of their companions escaped in the confusion by hailing a passing tricycle with Marquez in tow. She was later released along the national highway between Asingan and Urdaneta City. in Tayug
The operation that led to the arrest of the four was conducted by elements of the 107th Provincial Mobile Group, Region 1 Mobile Group and the police stations of San Quintin, Tayug, and Sta. Maria under the supervision of Purisima and Supt. Noli G. Taliño, assistant provincial police director for operations .
During the interrogation, Bataoil said he asked the PDEA agents for their authority as to their operation in the Pangasinan area. He said they reasoned it was a continuing operation that started in Cordillera.
“But they cannot give an answer when I asked them what they did upon taking Evangelista and Marquez into custody. I asked them if there was proper coordination with PDEA-Region 1, they said they talked to a certain officer of PDEA-Region 1. But it turned out that officer is on schooling. Thus, he is not in any way authorized to give clearance or coordination,” Bataoil further said during the press conference held Friday afternoon.
Bataoil also stated that he called-up and asked PDEA-Region 1 officer Supt. Jane Aunzo if there was coordination made with her but she said she only learned about the group’s operation later and gave no clearance for it .
“Assuming the operation is sanctioned by their higher headquarters, the needed coordination based on our police operational procedure or rules of engagement is lacking,” Bataoil clarified.
“I also called-up and told the PDEA-Cordillera director to bring along with him a lawyer because he claims that that operation (was) cleared with him. There was a violation of his men committed while in the process of their operation which they have to face in the court of law,” Bataoil said.
“It is the responsibility of the director to provide them legal assistance,” he added.