ILOILO City – The Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) seeks to dismantle three active drug groups in the region this year.
RDEU chief, Police Major Mark Anthony Darroca said these three drug groups are operating in Negros Occidental, specifically Kabankalan City, San Carlos City and Bacolod City.
The RDEU also focuses on high-value / high-impact drug suspects, said Darroca.
He admitted one challenge – the drug groups’ using new faces / personalities whom the police are not familiar with.
“We can identify them only if old group members are arrested and they will squeal on their companions. Tama kabudlay kay nagagamit sila bag-o nga members,” Darroca added.
He added that there are no more big drug personalities in the region after three drug syndicates were dismantled following the deaths of their leaders.
The region’s top drug leader, Ernesto Bolivar, reportedly died of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while in hiding in Metro Manila in October last year.
Bolivar fled the region in 2019. He had an arrest warrant for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Criminal Case No. 17-8454).
PRO-6 tagged Bolivar as the No. 1 drug personality in the region following the deaths of suspected drug lords Melvin Odicta Sr. who was gunned down on Aug. 28, 2016 at the Caticlan Jetty Port in Malay, Aklan, and Richard Prevendido who was killed in a shootout with policemen on Sept. 1, 2 017 in Barangay Balabago, Jaro, Iloilo City./PN
