Cop nabbed in drug sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-6’s internal cleansing efforts finally caught up with a cop who has long been on its drug watchlist.

Staff Sergeant Igmedio Cristobal Jr., a member of the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU), was arrested morning of May 22, 2022 at Aries St., VML Subdivision in Barangay North Fundidor, Molo, Iloilo City.

Cristobal, 40, of Zone 11, Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo Iloilo City, was busted after he allegedly sold two sachets of suspected shabu for P5,000.

Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) and the Iloilo City Police Station 4 recovered 17 sachets of suspected shabu, the P5,000 marked money, a wallet containing different identification cards, a black Yamaha Mio motorcycle with license plate FC 13001, a mobile phone, and several non-drug items.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, RPDEU-6 chief, said the seized substance was valued at P374,000.

Cristobal was assigned to RPHAU in 2017 from the Iloilo City Police Station following an administrative case for irregularity in the performance of duty.

He allegedly crafted a blotter report of a non-existent police booking and sent it to higher headquarters.

Darroca said the suspect had been assigned to Task Force Bakhaw, an interim force created to combat the illegal drug trade in Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Cristobal’s name was placed on the watchlist after his police buddy, then Police Officer 2 (PO2) Stephen Magno, was arrested in a buy-bust operation at a resort in Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo district on April 2018.

“When I entered the RPDEU in 2020, he was already under monitoring,” Darroca said.

But the unit could not initially find an asset who will connect them to Cristobal, and he had been on-and-off in his alleged illegal drug trade.

Cristobal was also placed under surveillance for alleged illegal drugs use. But he tested negative in at least three random drug tests. The latest was conducted only last week.

“We don’t know how he did it, but he always got a negative result. That’s why I was asking him if he’s taking anything to make himself undetected for illegal drugs use,” Darroca said.

Still, Darroca said they haven’t stopped in their efforts to run after Cristobal.

“We have been doing case build up until we were able to catch him,” he said.

Cristobal is now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).