BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO – The proliferation of illegal drugs in Western Visayas has become concerning, an assessment of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 showed.
According to Atty. Bomrad Soc Abonado, acting public information officer of PDEA-6, high values and volumes of illegal drugs were recovered from various operations across provinces in the region in the past week.
“Sa kadamuon (of illegal drugs), pwede siya naton ma-consider nga alarming,” he said. “Siguro mahambal naton nga there was an increase sa pagsulod (of illegal drugs) based on previous years, but prior to the pandemic nga times, daw indi mo gid ya mahambal nga amo gid na siya ka-grabe gid,” said Abonado.
He noted the origins of illegal drugs are also concerning; arrested drug suspects identified their sources as coming from New Bilibid Prison, passing through the ports of Cebu City and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, then being distributed in Iloilo and other provinces in Western Visayas.
Abonado added that major coastline areas and ports are heavily monitored by authorities. They also called on barangay officials to watch over ports under their jurisdiction.
Despite this, the PDEA-6 assured they are following the situation closely.
“Siyempre gakadakpan man sila dayon bisan ano kadaku sang ginapasulod nila, na-control man gyapon,” Abonado said.
On Sept. 30, 1.6 kilos of suspected shabu worth P10.88 million were confiscated in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tacbuyan, Estancia town.
Joint elements of the Estancia police station and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office arrested suspects Renato Gallardo, 43, of Barangay Sauyo, Novaliches, Quezon City, and Lawrence Plasencia, 22, of Barangay Gojo, Estancia Iloilo./PN
