IN LINE with its "Brigada Semana" campaign, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) seized P4.6 million worth of suspected shabu from two high-value individuals in Barangay Bata over the weekend.
Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, BCPO director, said the items seized from suspects Erwin Belonio, alias “Boy”, 34, of Zone 11 in the city’s Barangay Handumanan, and Anthony Solon, alias “Tikboy”, 38, of Purok Riverside in Barangay Bata are intended for the MassKara Festival in October.
A police report showed that the two were arrested past midnight on Saturday in Purok Riverside after they transacted to a poseur buyer.
It added that the P3,000 buy-bust money, 17 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 675 grams and P300 in cash believed to be proceeds of the illegal drug transaction were recovered from the suspects upon their arrest.
Martir said Belonio had a homicide case that he already settled and was also arrested last year for drug charges but was released from jail in January this year after he entered into a plea-bargaining agreement.
He said that this is the same case with Solon, who was released from jail in June this year.
In the past, many of the arrested drug suspects are recidivists who have been released from jail on a plea-bargaining agreement.
“It is allowed under the law, especially if the items recovered from them are below five grams but before they could enter into plea-bargaining the apprehending officer will have to give an approval,” Martir stressed.
As the MassKara Destival approaches, the BCPO director assured that more illegal drug operations will be conducted.
He said contrabands slipped through in the highly urbanized city due to a lack of high-tech scanning devices in seaports and even bus terminals.
“We just need to improve our monitoring,” Martir said, adding that most of the supplies of illegal drugs coming in are from the Luzon area transported either by land or by sea.
Meanwhile, 36-year-old Rhemhon Dumancas of Barangay Patlad in Dumangas, Iloilo province was also arrested with 150 grams of suspected shabu valued at P1 million at the Bredco Port in Bacolod around 5 p.m. Sunday, September 25.
Two sachets of suspected shabu were recovered from his possession upon his arrest, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported.
On Friday, another high-value individual was also arrested in Purok Sigay in the city’s Barangay 2 with 26 grams of suspected shabu valued at P176,000.
Captain Paul Vincent Pendon, commander of Police Station 2, said six sachets of the banned substance were seized from Noel Dadivas, alias “Nognog”, 23, who is now detained at their custodial facility.
The arrested suspects are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Anti-Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.