Suspected marijuana found along Arevalo road

By Jennifer P. Rendon

ILOILO CITY — Suspected dried marijuana placed inside a rolled plastic bag was found along C1 Road in Barangay San Jose, Arevalo, Iloilo City, late in the evening of Sept. 8.

Reports showed that barangay tanods, or village watchmen, were conducting a nighttime mobile patrol when they spotted the bag in the area.

Upon checking, they found a transparent resealable plastic bag containing dried leaves weighing around 100 grams and valued at PHP 12,000.

The San Jose tanod chief surrendered the suspected illegal drugs to police authorities.

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) said the tanods promptly coordinated with police, who verified the discovery.

The recovered item was inventoried and marked at the scene before being turned over to Iloilo City Police Station 6 (ICPS 6) for proper disposition and appropriate action.

Col. Wilbert Parilla, Iloilo City police chief, said the suspected illegal drugs could have been part of a drug peddler’s dead-drop operation.

A dead drop involves leaving contraband at a concealed location for another person to retrieve later, avoiding direct contact between the seller and buyer.

“Posibleng may dumaan na mga tao kaya naudlot at naiwanan ’yung marijuana,” he said.

Parilla said the discovery underscored the importance of strengthened police-community coordination.

He also cited the ICPO’s Project TANOD LEAD, or Tanod and Police Nightly Operations for Discipline and Law Enforcement Against Disorder, for promoting vigilance and cooperation between police and barangay force multipliers.

“Our barangay tanods are our partners on the ground, and through Project TANOD LEAD, we are strengthening their role in keeping our communities safe, especially at night,” Parilla said.

Project TANOD LEAD strengthens the partnership between police and barangay tanods through coordinated nighttime patrols aimed at improving police visibility, community vigilance, and public safety.