Ex-tanod, wife nabbed in PHP 1 million drug sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A recently resigned village watchman and his wife were arrested during a police anti-illegal drug operation on the afternoon of May 6 in Molo, Iloilo City.

Alias Walter, 52, and his wife, alias Nene, were apprehended in a buy-bust operation at their house in Barangay San Juan, Molo.

Members of the Iloilo City Police Station 4 arrested the suspects after they allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for PHP 8,100.

The suspects are considered high-value drug personalities.

Police also seized four sachets and two knot-tied plastic packs of suspected shabu.

Capt. Ryan Christ Inot, ICPS 4 chief, said the confiscated drugs weighed around 150 grams and had a standard drug price of PHP 1.020 million.

Reports said the couple had a previous drug-related arrest in 2018.

However, citing a technicality in the chain of evidence, the case against them was dismissed in 2023.

Recently, Inot said they received a report about the couple’s alleged illegal drug involvement.

During monitoring, police found that Walter and Nene had allegedly returned to illegal drug peddling for about a year.

Inot said there was also a complaint against Walter for gun-poking, but no formal charges were filed.

Walter was also involved in a stabbing incident that injured 12 people.

However, he was able to settle with the complainants.

Meanwhile, contrary to earlier reports, Barangay Captain Jose Martin Maloto of San Juan denied that Walter is an active barangay tanod.

Maloto said Walter, who had served as a village watchman for two years, asked him three times last month about his intention to resign.

The suspect was told that he could do so by the end of April.

Maloto claimed he had no knowledge that Walter was involved in the illegal drug trade.

The arrested suspects are now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.