BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO – Four policemen of Pototan town were removed from their posts for alleged links to drug dealers.
The director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), Senior Supt. Cornelio Salinas said the four have the ranks of Police Officer 1 and 2.
“We received information linking them to drug dealers,” confirmed Salinas.
He, however, declined to name the policemen. He did not want to embarrass them, he said.
The four were blamed for the constant unsuccessful anti-drug operations of the Pototan police.
“Our targets would disappear during actual drug operations,” said Pototan police chief, Senior Insp. Aron Palomo.
He found this suspicious.
The targets could have been forewarned, Palomo surmised.
Police officers must always safeguard the secrecy of intelligence information, most especially if these were drug-related, Salinas stressed.
“I will file appropriate charges against them if warranted,” Salinas said of the four Pototan policemen.
Their sacking should also serve as a warning to other policemen, he added.
Recently, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office Intelligence Section had a successful anti-drug operation in Brgy. Guinacas, Pototan.
The nine suspects included the chief tanod of Brgy. Cubay, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Police seized 19 plastic sachets of shabu, unlicensed guns and ammunition from Ernesto Bolivar; Ricardo Trabuco, tanod chief; Jade Mendoza, Eliasar Tibog, Nestor Laluma, Ronald Pantong, Sarth Mendoza, Stephen Mendoza, and Rocky Rodriguez./PN
