BACOLOD City Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on police matters, has lauded the anti-drug campaign of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

In their latest buy-bust operations just for two days, the local police recovered almost P7.6 million worth of suspected shabu.

“Once there are apprehensions that mean that our law enforcement agencies are working,” Espino said.

He said the police recovered a large volume of illegal drugs and it is a good development to neutralize all the drug pushers operating in various areas of the city.

“Congratulations to our law enforcement units who are responsible for these apprehensions,” the councilor said, adding that “we are hopeful that their operations will continue to address the illegal drug problems in Bacolod City.”

On June 5 and 6, 2022, two high value individuals in Bacolod City were arrested in separate drug bust operations in Barangays Singcang-Airport and Banago.

Police identified the suspects as Raffy Cardeñas, 37, of Purok Neptune in Barangay Singcang-Airport and Napoleon Begasa III, 30, of Purok Kawayan in Barangay Banago.

Cardeñas was arrested shortly before midnight on Monday by operatives of Police Station 8 at Barangay Singcang-Airport’s Purok Neptune with 21 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 105 grams and valued at P714,000.

Begasa, on the other hand, fell into the hands of the City Drugs Enforcement Unit in a buy-bust at his rented place on Sunday.

He yielded 16 sachets containing suspected shabu and another five plastic bags also containing illegal substance weighing 1,010 grams and valued at P6,868,000, among others.

Espino said the city government will continue to support the BCPO to address the illegal problem.

“I will see to it that this will be the priority of the incoming administration, to address the illegal drug activities in various barangays,” he said, adding that “we should send a strong message that those who will engage in illegal activities here will be arrested.”