Ma of arrested drug courier fears for daughter's safety

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The mother of one of the three suspected drug couriers arrested Thursday night here has expressed fear for her daughter's safety after she failed to find the latter in any of the police cells in North Cotabato.

Leticia Palardo, mother of Alicia Palardo, who was arrested in a raid on Matalam street here together with live-in partner Roderick Ramos and a certain Arthur Restiza, said she first went to the police station but was told the suspects were brought to nearby Kabacan town where the satellite office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was located.

But when she arrived in Kabacan on Friday morning, she was surprised to see an empty PDEA office.

She could not help but think her daughter was taken "somewhere else" where she might be "silenced".

Palardo said Alicia's husband was killed four months ago by two unidentified gunmen.

The killing, reports said, was drug-related although Palardo refused to elaborate on this.

Alicia and her boyfriend Ramos were arrested in a buy-bust raid at around 6 p.m., Thursday.

The PDEA operatives, led by a police officer identified only as Lorillo, recovered from Alicia's house three sachets of shabu and marked money.

Restiza was arrested a few blocks away from Alicia's place, reports said.

Yogi Cruz, PDEA-Central Mindanao regional director, said Palardo has nothing to worry about as the suspects are temporarily held at their regional headquarters in General Santos City.

"We were supposed to turn them over to the Cotabato Provincial Police Office but they did not accept them. Our satellite office in Kabacan town has already been closed months ago. So we have no choice but to lock them up in our office," said Cruz.

Charges of violation of Comprehensive Anti-Drug Act will be filed against Alicia and her two companions before the Kidapawan City Prosecutor's Office on Monday, Cruz said. (Malu Cadelina Manar)