ILOILO City – Shabu worth P1.2 million was seized in a buy-bust operation of the police in Barangay Infante, Molo district.
A suspect was also arrested – 44-year-old John Alvin Palomar of Zone 2, Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district. He was taken to the Molo police station.
According to Major Rommel Anicete, head of Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) of the Police Regional Office 6, Palomar was a high-value target and suspected to be a minion of drug lord Richard Prevendido who was killed in a shootout with policemen on Sept. 1, 2017 in Jaro district.
Prevendido was also a resident of Barangay Bakhaw.
Palomar had a bounty of P500,000, said Anicete.
It took RDEU’s operative a week to negotiate a sale (P10,000 worth of shabu) with Palomar, he added.
This buy-bust on Thursday night, June 15, had the backing of the Iloilo City Police Office.
A total of 42 sachets of shabu were recovered. Weighing 180 grams, the street value of the recoveries reached P1,224,000.
“We first conducted a test buy kasi ilang beses tayo nag-attempt bumili sa bahay nya kaso ayaw magbenta until sinabihan natin na sa labas na lang, kaya nahuli natin,” said Anicete.
Intelligence reports showed the suspect got the shabu one week ago and he kept it in his house.
Palomar was arrested sometime in 2016 in an antidrug operation of the police, the RDEU added.
In 2020, he was released from jail through a plea bargaining agreement.
“Nang nakalabas na sya, nagbenta ulit,” said Anicete.
Palomar faces a charge for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002./PN
