BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – Two big-time drug groups in Iloilo City and their members are currently under tight watch.
“Dragon” is from Barangay Tanza Esperanza, City Proper while “Buang” is from Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district, said Senior Supt. Cornelio Salinas, Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) director.
“Their members are trying to invade Iloilo province. We have identified some already,” said Salinas.
IPPO has so far counted 37 members of Dragon and 10 members of Buang.
“We are also zeroing in on their target areas. With the help of communities, we will arrest them,” Salinas said.
Dragon and Buang have long been identified by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (PDEA) director Paul Ledesma as two of the three big-time drug lords in the city. The other is “Bondying”.
Ledesma also said the pack of shabu with an estimated value of more than P1 million that his men intercepted in Pavia, Iloilo (sent through LBC courier) on April 21, 2014 belonged to the Bakhaw group.
The package was picked up by Romana de la Cruz of Barangay Cuartero, Jaro and Celcar Batilles of Barangay Bakhaw.
PDEA later learned that Batiles was a hired tricycle driver while de la Cruz was a helper of Anna Prevendido-Penecilla of Barangay Bakhaw.
PDEA and IPPO also busted P1.2-million worth of suspected shabu from Renante Braga of Sara, Iloilo on April 15.
Also arrested during the operation were Romel Plogio, Joesan Superal and Kenneth Obillos who yielded a caliber .45 pistol.
November last year, PDEA also confiscated P2-million worth of shabu from Orestes Estrebor and Christian Morin, 18, in Oton, Iloilo
“Whoever would be arrested will be jailed and charged. We have to double our efforts to neutralize drug pushers’ operation,” Salinas said./PN
