News Briefs: March 9, 2017

Cagayan de Oro police nab man with P2.3M shabu in drug buy bust

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Authorities arrested a man with P2.3 million worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation in this city on Wednesday, March 8.

Divisoria police arrested Sobair Mimbalawag who was found with 10 sachets of alleged methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu weighing 512.3 grams.

The suspect, who is considered a high-value target, was nabbed after months of police surveillance, said Senior Inspector Maricris Mulat, Divisoria police station chief.

“This is no small-time pusher. He may be involved in a huge organization the extent of which we still have to find out,” Mulat added.

Mimbalawag denied he was a drug dealer. – Bobby Lagsa/Rappler.com

New interim PhilHealth president and CEO named

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation board of directors on Thursday, March 9, named Hildegardes Dineros as the interim president and CEO of PhilHealth. 

Dineros, a surgeon, graduated from the University of Santo Tomas.

“His scope of interests includes complex wound care, aesthetic and plastic surgery, bariatric medicine, spirituality, health and medicine, as well as stress and energy management,” PhilHealth said in a press statement.

PhilHealth said Dineros is involved in community initiatives as president of the Nuestra Senora de Salvacion Charity Hospital Foundation Incorporated which holds medical missions in Northern Samar. 

He is the founder of Smile Forever Program and is a past president of Sagip Bayan Foundation of St Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. He is also a member of the Good Samaritan Foundation of media personality Ramon Tulfo. – Rappler.com