AN OFFICIAL of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Northern Mindanao confirmed Wednesday, November 23, that a Lovely Adam Impal is on their watch list of high value targets and big-time drug personalities in the region.
Impal is the woman tagged by alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa as one of his sources of illegal drugs.
PDEA spokesperson Ben Kalibre said the name of Impal has long been cropping up in interrogations of arrested drug suspects and has been on their watch list since last year.
Kalibre said Impal’s name was even mentioned in several big anti-drug operations across the region this year.
But Kalibre said they have no physical description of Impal.
“Among gitan-aw among record and there is Lovely sa watchlist pero wala pay specific description kay ang information namo limited ra sa statement sa mga dinakpan (We checked our record and there is Lovely on the watchlist but we still do not have her specific description because our information is limited to the statement from our arrested suspects),” Kalibre said.
Espinosa, during Wednesday’s Senate inquiry into the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, tagged Impal as one of his “suppliers.”
Espinosa told senators that Impal, whom he described as a tall, mestiza-looking woman, had houses in Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Bukidnon, and Makati City.
Kalibre said PDEA will use Espinosa’s pronouncements at the Senate inquiry to initiate a more in-depth investigation, which can lead to the validation of Impal’s identity and track her whereabouts.
He said one of the reasons Impal has not been arrested despite being included in the watch list of high value targets is the lack of verifiable information.
Kalibre said PDEA will also look into Impal’s supposed connections with an alleged “drug queen,” former Maguing, Lanao del Sur mayor Johaira Abinal Macabuat, also known as Marimar.
Marimar was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City in July, this year.
“Ato pang palahoman atong (We will continue our) investigation and intelligence gathering mahitungod ani ni (pertaining to) Lovely,” Kalibre said.
Espinosa also told senators that authorities may be able to secure photos of Impal, whom he said had been arrested and tried in Cebu City supposedly on drug-related charges.
A Lovely Adam Impal was arrested on July 7, 2006 in Cebu City in a supposed drug bust and charged with violation of Section 5, Article 2 of Republic Act (RA) 9165, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Impal, then 29 years old, had given authorities her address as Celiron, Iligan City.
Impal was subsequently released after then Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez directed the City Prosecutor of Cebu City to withdraw the charges against Impal for lack of probable cause.