Tanod arrested with PHP 578,000 shabu in Iloilo

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A barangay tanod was arrested in Iloilo province as part of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The suspect, identified only as alias Panoy, 51, a resident of Barangay Kinal-kalan, Balasan, Iloilo, was apprehended during a buy-bust operation shortly before midnight on Jan. 20.

Operatives from the Balasan Municipal Police Station seized about 85 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of PHP 578,000.

Lt. Patrick John Alabado, Balasan police chief, said the operation was conducted after concerned residents provided reliable information regarding the suspect’s alleged involvement in illegal drug activities.

Police placed the suspect under surveillance for nearly three weeks, during which operatives reportedly confirmed his participation in the illegal drug trade.

Investigators said the suspect allegedly sourced illegal drugs from Estancia town and distributed them within Balasan.

The suspect is currently detained at the Balasan Municipal Police Station and is expected to face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Republic Act 9165 penalizes the sale, possession and distribution of dangerous drugs and forms the legal basis of the government’s nationwide anti-illegal drugs campaign.