Tokhang surrenderer nabbed in drug buy-bust

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A Tokhang surrenderer was arrested following an anti-narcotics operation late afternoon of Sept 27, 2022 in Dingle, Iloilo.

Police identified the suspect as Mark Perez, 34, a resident of Barangay Tulatula-an, Dingle, Iloilo.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (PDEA), together with Dingle Municipal Police Station and Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), collared Perez after he allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P2,500.

Recovered from his possession were the P2,500 buy-bust money, six sachets of suspected shabu, and several non-drug items.

The seized substance weighed around 15 grams and was valued at P102,000.

Lieutenant Aileen Lacrite, Dingle police chief, said Perez is considered a “high-value individual.”

Perez surrendered through Oplan Tokhang in 2018, although he was never arrested for any offense before that.

“Oplan Tokhang” is a law enforcement operation where police knock on a drug suspect’s door to invite him for a lecture on drug abuse and even convince them to surrender.

Since last year, he was monitored for peddling shabu in Dingle and its neighboring towns such as San Enrique, Passi City and Barotac Nuevo.

Peres is now detained and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).