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[av_heading heading=’EATERY SELLS SHABU – PDEA | Prevendido is ‘carinderia’ supplier’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Monday, April 10, 2017
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ILOILO City – A carinderia in Barangay Desamparados, Jaro district was being used as front for drug trafficking, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6.
The eatery owner, Boy Ryan Obregon, was arrested in a buy-bust operation. He was a suspected subgroup leader of the Prevendido drug group, said Assistant Director Levi Ortiz of PDEA.
Obregon sold a sachet of shabu for P1,000 to a poseur buyer and was immediately arrested, said Ortiz.
The carinderia also doubled as a drug den, according to the assistant director. Shabu clients would use the illegal drug in a concealed section of the eatery.
PDEA listed Obregon No. 6 in its list of suspected drug personalities. He worked for suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido, said Ortiz.
The buy-bust operation was carried out around 7 p.m. on April 7.
“We have been tailing him for quite some time,” said Ortiz.
Aside from the sachet of shabu sold to the PDEA agent, four more were recovered from Obregon.
Ortiz believed Obregon got his supply in Barangay Bakhaw where Prevendido lived.
“I believe na patuloy pa rin ang drug business ni Prevendido kahit nagtatago siya. Source pa rin ng druga ang Bakhaw,” said Ortiz.
It was only last week when the Iloilo City Police Office raised alarm that hotels, motels and similar establishments were also used for illegal drug transactions. An undercover police officer was able to buy a sachet of shabu from six drug pushing suspects at a hotel on Quezon Street, Barangay Sampaguita, City Proper.
Drug traffickers were finding new ways to operate due to the relentless campaign against illegal drugs, according to Senior Inspector Shella Mae Sangrines, city police spokesperson.
In a radio interview, Obregon denied owning the sachets of shabu that PDEA recovered.
He was taken to PDEA’s detention cell in Fort San Pedro after the buy-bust operation.
Obregon faces a charge for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Prevendido, meanwhile, remained at large.
On Jan. 6, 2017 the Regional Trial Court, Branch 21 issued an arrest warrant against Prevendido for violation of Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) of the Act. This case was in connection with shabu worth over half a million pesos recovered from his house last Oct. 31, 2016.
Late last month, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) received text messages claiming Prevendido was planning to surrender peacefully.
The police, however, wanted to double-check the messages.
“Wala man nagpakilala ang sender. But if Prevendido indeed wants to surrender, we welcome this,” said Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of the PRO-6.
According to the texter, Prevendido feared he would be harmed or killed.
The city and provincial governments of Iloilo have a combined bounty of P1 million for Prevendido’s capture./PN
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