A barangay councilor in Asturias, Cebu was arrested in a buy-bust operation on Friday afternoon, June 26, 2026, in Barangay Bago. The suspect, identified as Joveniel Cabanes Noel, 41, married, is a barangay councilor of Bago and was classified as a high-value individual. He also served as chairman of the Peace and Order Committee in the barangay.
Monitoring and Operation
According to Police Captain Jessie Tañola, chief of the Asturias Police Station, they had been monitoring the official for a long time after receiving reports of his illegal activities. After confirmation by operatives of the Municipal Drug Enforcement Unit (MDEU), the operation was launched. During the bust, Noel was caught with one packet of shabu worth P500.
Additionally, police recovered 22 grams of shabu from the councilor's possession, valued at P149,000. The police stated that the suspect could sell 25 to 50 grams of shabu per week, but he refused to disclose his source of drugs.
Charges Filed
Noel will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
