MAASIM, Sarangani Mayor Aniceto Lopez Jr. turned himself in to Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, hours after law enforcers raided his house and seized illegal drugs and firearms, an anti-narcotics official said Friday, October 6.
Pacquiao turned over Lopez to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino around 12 p.m.
Aquino said Lopez denied any involvement in the illegal drug trade and claimed that he knew nothing about the drugs found at his home.
The PDEA official, however, said the raid was conducted in the presence of barangay officials and members of the media.
Around 3 a.m. Friday, a combined team from the PDEA, police, and military raided the house of Lopez in Barangay Lumasal.
The raiding team recovered P5-million worth of shabu, drug-making equipment, suspected ecstasy pills, high-powered firearms, explosive, and a book containing the alleged drug transactions of Lopez.
Colangco, Parojinog, Espinosa link
Aquino said that among the familiar names found in the book were those of Herbert Colangco, Kerwin Espinosa and former Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Jr., all drug personalities identified by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Drug convict Colangco is currently detained at the National Bilibid Prison, while Espinosa, the son of late Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando and the alleged drug lord in the Visayas, is under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation after charges were filed against him.
Parojinog, on the other hand, was killed during a raid in his residence in Ozamiz City. His death came months after the older Espinosa was killed by police officers during a raid in his detention cell in Baybay, Leyte.
Aquino said, however, that Lopez is not included in Duterte's narco list but he was in PDEA's drugs watchlist since 2012.
He said Lopez will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drugs Act and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Aquino said they will also conduct financial investigation against Lopez. (SunStar Philippines)