2 men arrested in Molo for selling liquor

ILOILO City- Two persons were arrested in Zone 1, Barangay North Baluarte, Molo district for selling liquor.

The following were detained at the Molo police station: Ariel Albuna, 32, of Barangay Anhawan, Janiuay, Iloilo and his helper Roy Sabido, 55, of Barangay San Roque, San Miguel, iloilo.

The two were arrested at around 3:45 p.m. on April 30. Undercover police officers confiscated from them 30 boxes of whisky and a box of brandy.

The combined value of the recoveries was P70,000.

According to Police Major Engelbert Banquillo, Molo police chief, his men and the Intelligence Section of the Iloilo City Police Office conducted the operation against the suspects after receiving information about their activities.

“They were not selling per bottle but by boxes,” said Banquillo.

The suspects were charged with violation of Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Executive Order No. 66-A of Mayor Jerry Treñas, said Banquillo.

There is a liquor ban in the city. The sale and consumption of liquor is prohibited while the city is under an enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019.

Treñas initially lifted the liquor ban on April 21 but re-imposed it the following day.

“Various incidents due to intoxicated persons” promoted him to backtrack, according to Treñas.

He also cited “the many other important activities undertaken by our security personnel” and the “advice coming from various sectors.”

“There were several reported incidents and complaints (of) abuse in (the) consumption of alcohol, and violations of physical distancing measures, hence the need to re-impose the prohibition on the sale and consumption of liquor,” stressed Treñas.

Covered by the ban are “any form of liquor or alcohol, beverages, or any alcoholic drink containing a specific percentage of alcohol by volume or weight which may be in the form of whisky, brandy, gin, rum, cordial, cocktail, wine, champagne, vermouth, basi, tuba, sake, beer, ale, stout, and the like.”/PN