Liquor seller, helper nabbed in entrapment

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A businessman who sells liquor and his helper were busted following an entrapment operation afternoon of April 30, 2020 in Molo, Iloilo City.

Ariel Albuna, 32, of Barangay North Baluarte, Molo, and his helper Roy Sabido, 55, of Barangay San Roque, San Miguel, Iloilo were collared after selling liquor to police at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police Major Engilbert Banquillo, Molo police chief, said they received information of Albuna’s operation days before the police operation.

Banquillo said an asset tipped them that the suspect was selling liquor, a prohibited act under Executive Order No. 066-A.

Mayor Jerry Treñas on April 22 signed EO 066-A which re-imposes the ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in Iloilo City.

Banquillo said Albuna didn’t sell by the bottle.

“He was selling by box. He bought boxes of whisky from another businessman and re-sold them,” he said.

Police arranged to buy three boxes of whisky for P2,100 per box from the two suspects.

The suspects were arrested after receiving P6,300 from the undercover cops.

Aside from the three boxes of local whisky, 30 boxes of Tanduay whisky and a box of Matador whisky were seized from Albuna’s house.

Banquillo said Albuna could have disposed several boxes already since his source delivered 50 boxes of liquor.

It is also believed that he already sold hundreds of boxes of liquor since the liquor ban started.

When asked who his sources were, Albuna said he only knew them by their aliases.

The two suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code (Resistance and disobedience to a person in authority or the agents of such person.), in relation to Republic Act 11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act), RA 11469 (The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act), and EO 066-A.