BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO & MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – Seven persons were arrested in three separate police operations in the province of Iloilo on Saturday for illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms.
The first operation was conducted at 12:05 a.m. in Zone 3, Barangay Talacuan Leon, Iloilo against five suspects, including a female minor.
Detained in Leon Police Station were alias “Rafael,” 25, and “Jeezrel,” 29, both subjects of the buy-bust operation; “Ronald,” 18, and “Christine,” 19, all of the same place.
They yielded a total of 20 grams of shabu with a street value of P136,000.
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old female from San Miguel town was turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.
According to Leon chief Lieutenant John Frederick Padilla, suspects Rafael and Jeezrel personally handed down P3,600 worth of suspected shabu to an undercover poseur-buyer.
A caliber .38 revolver with ammunition was recovered from the possession of Rafael, while four bullets were recovered from Jeezrel.
“We have been tailing them for many days already until we were able to get an asset who penetrated their group,” said Padilla.
The next operation, at around 5:20 a.m., was in Barangay Quiling, Lambunao.
The police were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Gemalyn Faunillo-Tarol of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 76.
Recovered from a certain “Gilbert,” 54, were a caliber .45 pistol, hand grenade, magazines, and various ammunition.
The third operation was carried out at 6:40 a.m. in Barangay Bongco, Pototan against a senior citizen suspect identified as “Noni.”
A 12-gauge shotgun with ammunition was recovered from the suspect’s house during the implementation of a search warrant.
According to Major Roy Tayona of Pototan Police Station, they received reports that the suspect often carries his gun and was involved in gun-toting.
Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, director of Police Regional Office 6, commended his personnel for their simultaneous operations against illegal drugs and loose firearms.
“We acknowledged the unwavering efforts of police officers in combating criminality. Arresting individuals who violated firearms and illegal drugs was an important step toward ensuring our community’s security and safety. We are committed to sustaining peace and urge citizens to remain watchful and cooperate in our shared efforts to combat criminals,” Villaflor said./PN
