BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO & RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – A total of P7.7 million worth of suspected shabu was seized on Wednesday night in two separate drug buy-bust operations. Two drug pushing suspects were also arrested.
One operation was carried out at a resort in Barangay Barosbos, Carles, Iloilo. A high-value drug suspect yielded 29 sachets of suspected shabu weighing around one kilo and valued at P6.8 million.
Matthew James Bacos, 20, was a resident of Barangay Botongon, Estancia, Iloilo. He was collared by joint operatives of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), Carles police station and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) around 10:45 p.m.
A poseur buyer was able to buy from the suspect a big sachet of suspected shabu for P600,000.
According to Police Colonel Noel Aliño, IPPO director, this was the biggest confiscation thus far this year, adding that the suspected shabu was intended for distribution during the Dinagyang Festival.
Aliño said his men transacted with the suspect after receiving intelligence report that the latter just received a huge volume of suspected shabu.
“Based po sa ating intelligence information nagbebenta siya at baka may mga sa likod pa niya. We are conducting an interrogation to get more information about his group at saan ang kanilang source,” the IPPO director said.
In Iloilo City, shortly after the Carles drug bust a drug pushing suspect was also arrested in Barangay East Timawa, Molo district.
Fish vendor Rogelio “Badong” Evangelista, 40, and a resident of Zone 15, Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo district, was arrested by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) and Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Molo police station.
Police Major Rommel Anicete, acting chief of RPDEU-6, said Badong yielded 140 grams of suspected shabu with a standard price of P900,000.
Police said the suspect tried to evade arrest; he threw stones and ran away but he fell from the motorcycle he was riding.
Evangelista was imprisoned for drug trafficking in 2013 but was released through a plea bargaining agreement in 2020, police added.
Bacos and Evangelista were detained and charges would be filed against them for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Police Brigadier General Leo Francisco, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), said they started intensifying the drug campaign and monitoring of drug personalities a few weeks ago, believing that drug dealers will take the opportunity to make money during the Dinagyang Festival.
“Malaking accomplishment ito kasi ilang mga tao ang maapektohan kung hindi natin na-arrest. Talagang magbi-venture ang mga drug dealers kasi first time na may face-to-face ang Dinagyang Festival after two years na walang celebration ng dahil sa pandemic. We expect drug dealers to order more supplies,” Francisco said./PN
