BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Recent massive drug hauls in Negros Occidental and Cebu prompted the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to step up its surveillance in the province.
Sub-station commanders in Escalante City and San Carlos City have been ordered to mobilize their intelligence personnel, said PCG-Southern Visayas District commander, Captain Eduardo De Luna.
They must find out how illegal drugs managed to enter Negros Occidental, especially in San Carlos City, said De Luna.
It was discovered that illegal drugs were being smuggled into the city by boat then divvied by drug groups for distribution to other areas in the island and neighboring provinces.
On Sunday, the police in Cebu City arrested Romeo brothers Rolando, 32, Edward, 24, and Calvin Valdez, 42, in a sting operation that yielded seven kilos of shabu worth P47.6 million.
This was later tracked to the town of Sibulan in Negros Oriental wherein authorities neutralized 24-year-old drug suspect Joemarie Yongco after the latter allegedly fought back.
Policemen recovered two kilograms of suspected shabu from Yongco valued at around P13.7 million.
A third anti-drug operation resulted in the arrest of 31-year-old Emmanuel Siaboc in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. He yielded P13.5 million worth of shabu.
All of the illegal drugs recovered in the operations were packed in tea bags and were determined to have originated from San Carlos City./PN
