By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
“HISTORIC” in Bacolod City, in Western Visayas.
It’s the P41.3-million shabu seized in a single police operation in Bacolod City on August 13.
The Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) headed by Captain Glenn Soliman was the lead police unit that netted the suspect, 28-year-old John Philip Dellomo of Purok Malipayon, Barangay 35, Bacolod.
Dellomo was not in the list of suspected drug personalities in Bacolod City, said Colonel Joeresty Coronica, newly designated city police director.
In the case buildup, Coronica said Dellomo, who served a jail sentence for robbery at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, might have established connectionswith illegal drug syndicates there.
Bilibid, during the time of then-President Digong Duterte, was exposed as haven of illegal drug trade.
Duterte even named some big-time inmates-turned-drug syndicates within the national penitentiary that included politicians, businessmen, ex-military men, ex-policemen, etc.
Dellomo was nabbed before his clandestine operation thrived.
‘SUPER CHALLENGE’
Now, the “super shabu” on Dellomo’s case poses a “super challenge” to Mayor Albee Benitez’s administration.
Before his well-known victory in the May 2022 elections, Albee became popular for a jingle sang by legendary music artist Freddie Aguilar, picturing Bacolod as a “drug and crime haven”.
Ex-mayor Bing Leonardia’s camp lambasted Albee for painting Bacolod bad to the whole world.
Albee denied it was his political jingle, but admitted that it was a gift from Aguilar.
With Dellomo’s case, Bacolod is yet to hear something from the sitting mayor.
Just a day apart from Dellomo’s arrest, operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the region nabbed two other drug suspects at Purok Uno Sisi in Barangay Singcang-Airport with P1.7 million shabu.
Prior to this Purok Uno Sisi anti-drug sting, the City Police Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) also cornered three members of the new Bungalow Drug Group (BDG) at Lopue’s Square in Barangay Tangub. There, anti-drug agents made a P2.04 million drug haul on August 10.
Asud-asud kon tawgon.
‘SHABU-FREE’
Mayor Albee, during his inauguration as new mayor in July 2022, had vowed to make Bacolod a “shabu-free super city”.
He was well applauded as he delivered the line with conviction.
Let it be known that during the 15-month stint of Colonel Noel Aliño as Bacolod City Police Office director, a total of P109 million worth of shabu was confiscated. Big.
Coronica is just over 20 days in office, and P48-million worth shabu had been seized. Good publicity for the police.
Coronica is a known “drug buster” since his early days in the police service at the drug enforcement unit of the Malabon Police.
The series of shabu seizures is definitely a bad publicity for Bacolod and Mayor Albee. The city is not shabu-free.
The people of Bacolod are now asking the mayor: What are you going to do?/PN
