Staff of incumbent ARMM lawmaker arrested for narcotics offense

COTABATO CITY --- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency will file today criminal charges against a staff of a regional lawmaker arrested Wednesday for possession of shabu and an unlicensed gun.Juvenal Azurin, director of PDEA for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said Thursday that Buhari Samad Basir is now in their custody, to be prosecuted for violation of the Philippine Dangerous Drugs Act and possession of an unlicensed Glock pistol.Basir is a senior legislative staff of Assemblyman Sidik Salilama Amiril of ARMM’s 24-member Regional Assembly. He is related to the wife of Amiril, Amor.Agents of PDEA and personnel of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division last year searched for drugs at the residence of the assemblyman in Talitay, Maguindanao but found nothing.Agents who searched early Wednesday the house here that Basir and his family occupy found there shabu and a Glock .40 caliber handgun bearing serial number FRF953.Azurin said the raid was carried out based on a warrant issued by Judge Bansawan Ibrahim of the Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Cotabato City, mentioning Basir and Amiril as subjects to search for illegal drugs.It was not immediately established if the ARMM lawmaker, who has reportedly been out of office for months now, owns the house where Basir was arrested.Career service officials of the ARMM law-making body, touted as the Little Congress of the region, said on Thursday that Basir is not a permanent employee of the entity and works only for Amiril with a co-terminus appointment.Azurin said they will continue their surveillance operation against Amiril, who was not in the house the PDEA-ARMM agents raided at about 6and00 a.m. Wednesday.