BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – In less than a month since Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica took the helm of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and after the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) changed personnel, a total of 23 drug buy-bust operations were conducted.
The operations from Jan. 27 to Feb. 19 led to the arrest of 34 individuals.
The total recovered suspected shabu weighed 210.0711 grams; the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) valued this at P1,428,483.48.
The Feb. 18 buy-bust in Barangay Lanit, Jaro district yielded the biggest suspected shabu at 150 grams and valued at P1,020,000. Arrested was high-value drug suspect Praud Joan Animas, 43.
Among the city’s police stations, Mandurriao had the most number of operations at six.
Coronica said the drug operations were connected to the 32 drug suspects arrested on Jan. 26 in Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district.
The ICPO is also monitoring other barangays in the city.
“Excellent ang performance sang aton CDEU chief considering nga pareho kami bag-o yet we were able to get one of the big fishes kay ang nadakpan naton to sa Lanit, Jaro isa to siya sa mga bodegero,” said Coronica, commending the performance of the new CDEU chief, Police Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Benitez Jr.
Meanwhile, the ICPO officer-in-charge said the suspected shabu seized from Animas came from Negros Occidental.
“Ang ulihi ta nadakpan sa Jaro ginkuha niya ang iya illegal drugs didto sa Negros (Occidental) or Bacolod City. Didto gid na gahalin kag ato ang daku nga ginasudlan sang droga, tapos may nagakuha na sa iya. In fact, ang iya nga baligya mas barato kay daw wholesale nga style, then ang masalo baligya niya na sa mga pusher sa standard price,” Coronica said.
Here, the new ICPO chief warned drug suspects to surrender.
“Sang una hambal ta na sa ila nga ma-untat na sila para indi sila mag-antus sa prisohan or kung ano pa man inyo madangatan, pero sige-sige man sila gyapon,” said Coronica./PN
