Five fall in Pavia drug stings

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

Members of Pavia Police Station in Iloilo arrested five persons, including the “drug surrenderer,” in separate anti-illegal drug operations on Saturday evening.

Two of the operations are related, said Major Jojo Tabaloc, the town police chief.

Police operatives nabbed Bernie Lozañes, 31, and Jester Brian Perfas, both residents of Barangay Pandac, Pavia in a buy-bust operation 8:15 PM of January 23, 2021 at Barangay Balabag.

Recovered from their possession were four plastic sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP15,000, the PHP1,000 marked, two mobile phones, a disposable lighter, an aluminum foil, PHP600 personal cash, an improvised tooter, and a sling bag.

Police also seized a Toyota Wigo car (license plate AXA 4608).

At around 9PM, Tabaloc’s team arrested the duo’s alleged “upline” and cohort in a drug bust at Villa Solidad, Barangay Balantang, Jaro, Iloilo City.

The suspects were identified as John Michael Sotomil, 34, also a resident of Balantang village, and Sabino Umadhay, 33, of Barangay Camalig, Jaro.

Lozañes and Perfas allegedly got their drug supply from Sotomil, Tabaloc said.

Seized from Sotomil’s possession were four sachets of suspected shabu worth around PHP15,000; the PHP3,900 marked money; PHP2,640 in personal cash, a mobile phone, and a brown leather wallet.

Umadhay yielded PHP450 cash.

All four suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

 

‘SURRENDERER’ ARRESTED

Meanwhile, years after pledging to abandon illegal drugs, an Oplan Tokhang surrenderer was arrested in a police anti-narcotics operation on January 23, 2021 in Pavia, Iloilo.

Benju Gariando, 42, was collared at Barangay at Barangay Balabag, Pavia where he now resides.

Gariando, who surrendered himself through Oplan Tokhang in Guimbal town in 2016, was nabbed after selling a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP1,000 to a police undercover agent.

Members of the Pavia Police Station also recovered from Gariando five more sachets of suspected shabu, the P1,000 marked money, a bag, a mobile phone, PHP200 cash, and an empty cigarette pack.

Police also seized his Honda TMX 125 motorcycle with sidecar.

Major Jojo Tabaloc, Pavia police chief, said the seized drugs was valued at PHP20,000.

Since Gariando used to live in Guimbal, he was tagged as a newly identified drug personality. He worked as a fish vendor while staying at his uncle’s house.

Police had to inspect the fish he was selling out of suspicion that he might be keeping illegal drugs inside them.

The suspect denied the allegation against him despite claims that he was included in the watchlist of Balabag village.

Gariando said he is even willing to undergo drug test.

The suspect is now detained at the lock-up cell of Pavia Police Station and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).