Iloilo police steps up anti-drug drive, too

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) also intensified its campaign against illegal drugs in the past.

The series of anti-narcotics operations in the province apparently complemented the operations in Iloilo City, which will celebrate the Dinagyang festival this month.

In four operations conducted last week, IPPO units seized almost P3 million worth of illegal drugs.

The biggest was the one in Dumangas town following the arrest of Genel Delariarte.

Members of the Dumangas Municipal Police Station, together with Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) and the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, seized 255 grams of suspected shabu from the suspect in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Paloc Sool around 4:50 p.m. on Jan. 12.

The seized drugs are worth P1.734 million.

At around 7:44 p.m. of the same day, operatives from Calinog PNP also conducted a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion Ilaya, Calinog.

Jether Biñas Lenaria yielded around 40 grams of shabu valued at P320,600.

Meanwhile, members of Carles MPS also mounted another bust at 8:33 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Live-in couple Jed and Shel and another minor, all residents of Barangay Bolo, Carles, were nabbed at the Bolo’s People Village.

The trio’s arrest led to the recovery of 56 grams of shabu with a standard drug price of P380,800.

Two days before that, members of IPPO-PDEU and Balasan police arrested alias John at Barangay Ipil.

John, a resident of Poblacion Norte, Balasan, was arrested with around 80 grams of shabu valued at P544,000.

Major Rolando Araño, IPPO spokesperson, said that there was a total of 15 suspects who were arrested in 12 anti-illegal drug operations last week.

Despite the heightened operations against illegal drugs, he said that the IPPO has still managed to do well in the campaign against other forms of criminality and the arrests of wanted persons.