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BY RUBY P. SILUBRCO
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Friday, March 31, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) has named its three top targets in the antidrug campaign. They were warned not to resist the policemen hunting them.
They were Richard “Buang” Prevendido of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district; Rolando
“Apa/Striker” Torpio of Barangay South San Jose, Molo district; and Federico “Master Pedic” Balume of Estancia, Iloilo.
“We appeal to these three to surrender. Do not dare fight the police. We assure their safety should they surrender,” said PRO-6 deputy director for operations Senior Superintendent Christopher Tambungan.
Prevendido, currently at large, is a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-identified drug lord.
Torpio is a suspected subgroup leader of the Odicta drug group.
Balume is the suspected leader of a group engaged in drug trafficking, robbery and gun-for-hire activities in northern Iloilo.
They were “high-value” targets, according to Tambungan.
“We are hopeful na mahuli sila,” he said.
Prevendido has a P1-million bounty for his capture.
Torpio was released from detention at the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo just this Jan. 13 after posting a bail bond for an illegal drug case.
Balume and his group were charged for the ambush and death of two supporters of Estancia, Iloilo mayoral candidate Melinda Requinto on May 8, 2016 a day before the elections. Rolando Estandarte of Estancia and Roberto Magarso of Passi City died of multiple gunshot wounds.
The PRO-6 received text messages claiming Prevendido was planning to surrender peacefully. The police, however, wanted to double-check the messages.
“Wala man nagpakilala ang sender. But if Prevendido indeed wants to surrender, we welcome this,” said Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of the PRO-6.
According to the texter, Prevendido feared he would be harmed or killed.
The anonymous texter started contacting the PRO-6 two weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the resumption of the police’s Oplan Double Barrel against drug traffickers, said Gorero.
Prevendido has a standing arrest warrant for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Sachets of shabu were recovered from his house during a raid of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency October last year.
Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, regional police director, had been publicly urging Prevendido to surrender since December last year “so he won’t be harmed.”/PN
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