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BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – For easy monitoring, 15 high-profile drug suspects detained at the Iloilo District Jail (IDJ) in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo were moved to the Special Intensive Care Area of the prison facility.
These inmates had suspected ties to slain drug lords Richard Prevendido and Melvin Odicta Sr., according to IDJ warden Superintendent Jhon Montero.
Two of the 15 were sons of Prevendido and Odicta – John Rey Prevendido and Melvin “Vinvin” Odicta Jr.
John Rey was caught in a buy-bust operation in 2009 while Melvin Jr. was arrested in his house during an antidrug raid of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in 2016.
The 13 other inmates were the following:
- Jesus “Jing-jing” Espinosa Jr.
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Rolando “Apa / Striker” Torpio
*Marque “Boboy” Acap Sr.
* Marque Acap Jr.
* Ramon Platon
* Jeffrey “Arian” Orbe
* Johan Mino
* Ednie Jimena
- Jolly Peñasales
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Sandy Boy Salcedo
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Jovern “Jovan” Abantao
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Carl Sernicula
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Reynaldo Tadiaque
A “surprise” inspection of 16 cells at the IDJ yesterday around 5:30 a.m. showed contrabands were still being smuggled into the prison facility despite the strict inspection of jail visitors.
According to Montero, the inspection team recovered five cellular phones, improvised deadly weapons and drug paraphernalia.
“We have to investigate this,” he stressed.
An unannounced inspection just this Oct. 1 yielded eight sachets of shabu and an ice pick. Four inmates also failed in the drug test conducted. They were Randy Legaspi, Joven Abantao, Tomas Gan, and Marque Acap Jr.
On the other hand, all the 35 inmates subjected to drug testing yesterday were negative for illegal drugs.
“We want to cleanse the IDJ,” said Montero.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) proposed the installation of signal jammers at the IDJ to disrupt illegal transactions thereat.
Detained drug suspects continue their clandestine operations using cell phones, according to Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, IPPO director.
“Meron pa ring transactions. Ang mga nandoon ay high-profile inmates involved in the illegal drug trade,” Tayaba told officers and members of the Iloilo Peace and Order Council during a recent meeting at the provincial capitol.
These drug deals were not only provincial but regional in scope, he added./PN
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