ILOILO City – Police said they arrested two illegal drug suspects in Barangay Balabag, Santa Barbara, Iloilo.
Melchor Umadhay Jr., a 24-year-old laborer from Barangay Jibao-an, Santa Barbara and Ryan dela Peña, a 37-year-old farmer from Barangay Balabag, denied that they were engaged in the drug trade.
They claimed that the five plastic packs of suspected shabu that police seized from them at around 11 p.m. Wednesday were “planted.”
The suspects admitted to being former drug dependents who turned themselves in to the police amid the government crackdown on drugs.
But Umadhay said they were just having a drink when the police suddenly came and arrested them.
“Pag surrender namon pag-Tokhang, nag-untat na kami gamit,” he told Panay News. “Bag-o kami nila gindakop, ga-inom-inom kami nga duwa kag wala kami gabaligya.”
But Senior Inspector Rey Pabalan, Santa Barbara police chief, said they confirmed the suspect’s involvement in the drug trade during a two-week surveillance.
Umadhay and dela Peña face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Both were detained at the Santa Barbara police station./PN
