BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS, RUBY P. SILUBRICO, MARY JOY CAVAÑAS & JENNY ROSE BAYLON
ILOILO City – An estimated P6.5 million worth of shabu was seized from six drug suspects during separate police operations in the city over the weekend.
On Sunday, at approximately 1:40 a.m., about 370 grams of shabu, valued at P2.516 million, were recovered in Barangay Sto. Niño Norte, Arevalo. The individuals arrested were Melbert Dela Cruz, 41, from Aklan Province, and April Joy Batayola, 22, of Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo.
Just over an hour earlier, around 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million were confiscated in Barangay Magsaysay, La Paz. Rodney “Yohan” Marcellana Jr., a former Angkas driver from Barangay San Juan, Molo, and his live-in partner, Christine Detayson, were taken into custody.
Colonel Joeresty Coronica, the Iloilo City Police Office director, said the suspects allegedly procured their illegal drugs from a certain “RB” incarcerated in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
“They simply collect the shabu from a designated location as per RB’s instructions, and then they distribute it,” Coronica said in an interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo.
This same “RB” was also reportedly the source for a high-value suspect arrested on Saturday, Sept. 23. Seized from Joemarie Jagunap Perez were 70 grams of shabu, amounting to P476,000.
The joint operation, which took place on Muelle Loney St., Barangay Legaspi, City Proper, shortly after 9 p.m., involved the Iloilo City Police, the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6.
Two hours subsequent to that, another high-profile drug suspect was arrested in Barangay Taal, Molo. The police confiscated 25 grams of shabu, worth P170,000, from Jose Maria Madrones.
All the apprehended suspects will be facing charges under Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“Iloilo City serves as a transit point for illegal drugs. We’re fortunate that we intercepted them before distribution, thus protecting our youth,” Coronica said.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor added that these arrests stemmed from high-impact, intelligence-led operations by collaborative operatives.
“The drug supply originated from Manila and was traced as being distributed to the arrested individuals in Iloilo City. All four operations were based on interlinked information,” Villaflor said./PN
