Elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted an entrapment operation in Cotabato City, which led to the discovery of a drug den and the arrest of its owner/operator and an army non-commissioned officer on December 4, 2012.

Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr., PDEA director general said that Jerry Beñales, 34, a motorcycle driver, who was the subject of the buy-bust operation, was arrested by operatives of PDEA Regional Office-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao inside his residence utilized as a drug den in Purok Maganda, Poblacion 2, Cotabato City, after he sold a plastic sachet of shabu to a PDEA poseur-buyer. Operatives, led by Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, also seized assorted drug paraphernalia during the operation.

Edilbert Obatonon, 43, a Philippine Army sergeant, was also arrested after he was caught red-handed sniffing shabu inside the den maintained by Beñales.

Reports said that Obatonon is assigned with the 38th Infantry Battalion.