BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS and RUBY SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Thirty-two drug suspects yielded P918,000 worth of suspected shabu in a drug buy-bust operation in Zone 2, Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
Joint operatives of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RDEU-6) and Mandurriao police station identified the subjects of the operation as brothers Alony Leonor alias “Bata”, 47, and Elmer Leonor alias “Nonoy”, 37, both village residents.
The siblings were the first to be arrested after Alony and Elmer handed over a sachet of suspected shabu to a poseur buyer for P20,000.
Police confiscated a total of 19 plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing around 135 grams with a standard drug price of P918,000.
Other recoveries were a digital weighing scale, P580 cash, improvised glass tooter with shabu residue, and drug paraphernalia.
Jeric Jimena, the suspected lookout, was also caught. Police said Jimena was a nephew of slain drug lord Richard Prevendido.
While the buy-bust was ongoing, around nine persons were caught in a “pot session” while others were allegedly visiting, police said.
The 29 other arrested suspects were the following:
* Jannah Mae Deocampo, 20, of Barangay North Baluarte, Molo;
* Shan Jamir Macawiwili, 31, of Barangay Monica, City Proper;
* Rey June Supremo, 34, of Barangay Rizal Ibarra, City Proper;
* Richard Jeruta, 23, of Barangay McArthur, La Paz;
* Ariel Valeriano, 22, of Barangay Bagaygay, Sara, Iloilo;
* Dexter John Argamaso, 23, of Barangay Rizal, La Paz;
* John Mark Pedregosa, 32, of Barangay Rizal Pala-Pala, City Proper;
* Jude Mark Gamala, 24, of Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz;
* Robert John Yanson, 25, of Barangay Villa Anita, Delgado St., City Proper;
* Daniel Saranatin, 40, of Barangay Boulevard, Molo;
* Wilmon Santeria, 29, of Barangay Rizal Pala-Pala, City Proper;
* Anarie Concha, 38, of Barangay Veterans, City Proper;
* Nikko Gayonoche, 19, of Barangay Lag-an, Cabatuan, Iloilo;
* Bryan Robles, 32, of Barangay Topol, Cabatuan, Iloilo;
* Lester Dabi, 24, of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao;
* Lawrence Soliva, 27, of Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao;
* Renato Sedurifa, 55, of Barangay San Juan, Molo;
* Angel Himar, 25, of Barangay Lag-an, Cabatuan, Iloilo;
* Sandro Sacare, 37, of Barangay Veterans, City Proper;
* Richard Noñal, 26, of Sitio Manue, Barangay Tagbak Sur, Oton, Iloilo;
* Paolo Catalan, 28, of Barangay Veterans, City Proper;
* Johnny Factoran, 49, of Barangay San Antonio, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo;
* Juvet Balsomo, 24, of Barangay Monica, City Proper;
* Devin Dan Tapia, 28, of Barangay San Fernando, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo;
* Dustin Nicolai Ganzon, 35, of Barangay Balabag, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo;
* Charmaine Francisco, 41, of Barangay Tanza Bonifacio, City Proper;
* Mild Enriquez, 34, of Barangay Veterans, City Proper;
* Edmundo Gabinete, 45, of Molo; and
* Manuel Jones Señolay, 31, of Barangay Boulevard, Molo.
Police Brigadier General Leo M. Francisco, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), said the house where the buy-bust was conducted served as a drug den.
“Nakakuha tayo ng asset that’s why we were able to penetrate inside,” he said. “Bibili ng droga tapos magbabayad sa drug den para makagamit ng droga. Ganyan ang kalakaran sa loob ng barangay.”
“We are conducting investigation and tactical interrogation to know kung saan kumukuha ng stock,” Francisco said.
On Aug. 5, 2022, 22 cops from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) were detailed in Barangay Bakhaw following the request for police deployment of village chief Joel Alvarado. He observed that many outsiders were entering the area at night.
The 32 suspects were taken to the Mandurriao police station.
Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 would be filed against them./PN
