Is WV’s ‘top drug personality’ dead?

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Has illness overtaken authorities in neutralizing Ernesto “Erning” Bolivar, Western Visayas’ alleged top drug personality?

Reports indicated that Bolivar died last week after he either contracted COVID-19 or pneumonia. But the information did not specify the area where he allegedly died.

A photo of Bolivar’s remains also made rounds online but that, too, is still subject for confirmation.

And as far as Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 is concerned, Bolivar’s status remains uncertain.

“Without a death certificate and other documents that would corroborate, we couldn’t confirm the reports,” Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO-6 spokesperson, said.

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has reached out to Bolivar’s family in Pototan to verify the report.

“And even if the family claims that Bolivar is already dead and they could present a death certificate, we would still verify that,” Solis said.

After all, “it could be another ploy for him to skirt the law. It could just be a propaganda so that our police would lose focus in running after him,” he said.

 

DEATH STORY

Bolivar’s alleged death was confirmed by his son in a Facebook post last week.

Facebook user Rusty first posted, “Papa ko,” with a crying and heart emojis.

Another post was made hours later with the same message. Several comments later offered condolences to him.

Reports indicated that Bolivar was allegedly confined in a hospital for pneumonia and later died.

He was staying with his live-in partner in Metro Manila although he had a wife and children in Pototan, Iloilo.

Apart from his death, issues arose on who will take care of his remains if he has indeed passed away.

But latest reports claimed that he was cremated, leading to speculations that he succumbed to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Colonel Gilbert Gorero, IPPO director, confirmed that they have already coordinated with Bolivar’s family in Barangay Guinacas, Pototan.

The family claimed he already died.

“That’s why, we’re asking for a death certificate. They told us that they would try to secure the documents,” he said.

There were reports that Bolivar’s family had been preparing for a wake once his remains arrived.

 

ELUSIVE

The last information known about Bolivar was in October 2019 after reports claimed he was spotted at a hotel in Iloilo City.

After that, nothing was heard from him and simply disappeared from the police’s radar.

Despite that, PRO-6 has repeatedly said that the hunt for Bolivar was never placed on the back burner.

Despite efforts by the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to track him down, Bolivar remained elusive.

The P500,000 bounty for his arrest apparently failed to hasten matters.

One reason why Bolivar continues to skirt arrest was his being highly mobile, the police earlier said.

There were also at least three provinces in Luzon, all near Metro Manila, where he was reported.

In January 2019, he reportedly went to Iloilo to visit his lover. He passed by Capiz province using a fake name.

Police were not discounting the possibility that he underwent plastic surgery or facial enhancement, just like his girlfriend’s beauty enhancement procedures.

While Bolivar remains active in the illegal drug trade, his movements were clearly restrained.

Despite that, Bolivar was still able to fund his hiding, after selling two buildings in Molo, Iloilo City for P36 million, according to a 2019 police report.

It was gathered that police almost caught up with Bolivar sometime in January 2018. But he again slipped police arrest.

While the areas where he was last seen were known, human intelligence is still needed to eventually pin him down.

In 2019, police said Bolivar had been all over Visayas and Luzon and had been spotted in Bicol Region.

In 2017, when police had been hot on his trails, it was reported that Bolivar chose to remain in Panay area.

The Pototan local government unit (LGU) has pledged P200,000 for Bolivar’s arrest.

 

PRO-6 TARGET

In September 2017, the PRO-6 announced that Bolivar will be their next target following the death of suspected drug personality Richard Prevendido.

Bolivar, who used to reside in Barangay Guinacas, Pototan, Iloilo, had been considered a sub-group leader of the Prevendido Drug Group.

He used to operate in Iloilo province while Prevendido and his other core members took Iloilo City as their territory.

While working for Prevendido, he also used to get drug supply from the Odicta Drug Group.

The Odicta Drug Group was once a formidable force in the illegal drug trade until the death of its leader, Melvin Odicta, Sr., and his wife Meriam on Aug. 29, 2016.

Bolivar was also allegedly into gun-for-hire activities. There were reports that he used to be Odicta’s hatchet man.

But it appeared that almost all of his involvement in gun-for-hire activities did not even reach the courts.

He was allegedly involved in the killing of the husband of his live-in partner. However, the case was also settled.

Most of his cases were settled while he managed to post bail in other cases.

He was respondent to Criminal Case No. 17-8454 for violation of Section 5, Article II, of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002), a non-bailable offense.

Members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) intelligence branch and Pototan PNP considered his abode a drug den.

As Oplan Tokhang (the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign) commenced in 2016, Bolivar and Ricardo Trabuco turned themselves over to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) on July 12, 2016, through the efforts of Intel operatives from both IPPO and ICPO.

But even after their surrender, the two allegedly continued with the illegal drug trade operation.