PDEA director senses threat to life

BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO

ILOILO City – His life and the lives of his men at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are now in danger, according to Regional Director Paul Ledesma, following their seizure of P7-million worth of shabu in a drug operation in Bacolod City.

Ledesma relayed what his men had warned him about: a man had gone to the Bacolod City mall where drug pushing suspect Edgar Justo was arrested, and asked for a copy of the closed-circuit television footage apparently to recognize the arresting PDEA officers.

Ledesma said the man sported a long hair and introduced himself as a police superintendent.

But when the mall management asked for his identification, the man away.

“I know drug dealers will be hunting me down because P7-million worth of shabu is a big loss to their business. We are only doing our job at PDEA,” Ledesma said.

He revealed that drug dealers had already tapped guns-for hire to assassinate him, “but I;m not afraid.  I had already anticipated it and I know some cohorts of the killers.”

Drug dealers had reportedly obtained the services of an Ilonngo gun-for- hire group. The PDEA director, however, refused to name names.

Justo was arrested on June 9 in a buy-bust operation outside the Gaisano City mall in Bacolod City carrying a kilo of shabu.

The shabu was concealed behind the soles of 10 pairs of sandals and shoes./PN