Tarlac police intelligence head Supt. Luis Ventura Jr. identified the suspect as LTO district officer-in-charge Rogelio Yambao, 59, of Capital Gardens Subdivision in Barangay San Roque, Tarlac City.
He noted that Yambao has been with the LTO for 20 years and had lately been eyed by the police as a “high value target” in their campaign against illegal drugs, even when the LTO employee was still assigned in Paniqui, Tarlac.
Ventura explained that high value targets “are people in the government, or persons occupying high stature in the community such as priests, pastors, civic leaders, businessmen, among other posts, and are suspected of being involved in illegal drugs.”
He said the police, armed with a court order, searched Yambao’s house and found there nine sachets of suspected shabu, a fragmentation grenade and 17 live bullets for .45 pistol.
Ventura said many people knew of Yambao’s involvement in drugs but were reluctant to come out in the open.
“We just have to do our work, regardless of who gets along the way. We will target all those in our list ofhigh value targets,” he said.
