ILOILO City – Remnants of the Prevendido and Odicta drug groups are trying to regroup, according to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
The ranks of the two groups have been decimated through relentless antidrug operations of the police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency following the death of their leaders.
Richard Prevendido of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district died in a shootout with policemen in Barangay Balabago, Jaro district on Sept. 1, 2017 while Melvin Odicta Sr. of Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper was shot to death by unidentified gunmen in Malay, Aklan on Aug. 28, 2016.
ICPO director Police Colonel Martin Defensor Jr. said information reached his office that remnants of the two groups are planning to merge into one group and to avoid detection they would be recruiting personalities that the police are not familiar with.
“We were able to get this from arrested drug pushers. We know who they are. They plan to operate not only here but in Iloilo province, too,” said Defensor.
The ICPO will be running after them, he stressed.
“Iloilo City is small. We can easily spot them,” Defensor said.
On the other hand, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the region has tightened its monitoring of seaports for the possible entry of shabu.
Director Alex Tablate said his men were using dogs trained to detect illegal drugs concealed in luggage./PN
