BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS & RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed alarm over the large volume of illegal drugs confiscated in the city recently.
“Gaka-alarma ako kay ti daw ka dalagku subong sang dakop,” Treñas said yesterday.
The city mayor, however, is slightly relieved that high-value drug suspects were arrested and the massive distribution of the aforementioned illegal substance was prevented.
Treñas is calling for the strong apprehension of illegal drug users and other violators for a safe and secure metropolis.
He added the city government will be monitoring closely in coordination with the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and the Philippine Coast Guard.
For his part, ICPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica said illegal drugs is now a big challenge for the city police as there are elected barangay officials who have ties to illegal drugs.
“I should say illegal drugs problem is alarming because despite our arrest and series of drug operations, still there are persons who continue to venture [into illegal drugs]. But we will not stop hunting them,” said Coronica.
He added: “Ang gina-fear naton nga basi madamo pa gid mag-venture kay may mga elected barangay officials who are linked to illegal drugs. Pero we have to step up our barangay intelligence network to get more information on the movements of drug personalities.”
On Nov. 9, police seized around three kilos of suspected shabu valued at P20.4-million in a buy-bust operation at Dolmax Subdivision in Barangay Camalig, Jaro district. It was the biggest single-operation seizure in the city and province of Iloilo and the second biggest in Western Visayas.
Arrested and detained at the Iloilo City Police Office Station 3 were aliases “Shanon” and “Anne” and their alleged helper “Rose Anne.”
Earlier on Oct. 29, a sting operation in Barangay Concepcion, City Proper district yielded P7,860,800 worth of suspected shabu.
The armed suspect, high-value drug target Glen “Bongbong” Yturiaga, who had two companions, resisted arrest, trading gunfire with the police.
It later resulted to the death of Police Staff Sergeant Michael Malan, a member of the ICPO Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), who was fatally shot.
Meanwhile, ICPO data showed more than 80 barangays in this city have yet to be declared free from illegal drugs.
The breakdown of the number of barangays under the six district police stations is a follows:
* 11 under Police Station 1 in City Proper
* 23 under Police Station 2 in La Paz
* 21 under Police Station 3 in Jaro
* 14 under Police Station 4 in Molo
* Nine under Police Station 5 in Mandurriao
* Eight under Police Station 6 in Arevalo/PN
