POLICE arrested two high-value individuals (HVIs) and one street-level individual (SVI) in an anti-drug operation that led to the confiscation of shabu worth P1.7 million and a firearm in Barangay Ilajas, Dingle, Iloilo around 5:30 p.m. on August 30, 2025.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo) – Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), led by Police Major Dadje Delima, carried out the operation after almost a month of monitoring and surveillance based on information from concerned citizens. Authorities confirmed that the suspects sourced their supplies from Metro Manila and distributed them in Dingle and nearby towns.
The arrested suspects were identified as alias Junjun, 46, male, married, unemployed, and a resident of Barangay Agsalanan, Dingle; alias Pol, 50, male, married, employed as a local government driver, and a resident of Barangay Licu-an, Dingle; and alias Opel, 49, male, single, and a resident of Barangay Ilajas, Dingle. Police tagged Junjun and Pol as newly identified HVIs, while Opel was identified as an SVI.
Confiscated from the suspects were about 250 grams of shabu with a standard drug price of P1.7 million, six sachets of shabu, a caliber .38 revolver, and other non-drug items.
Police Colonel Bayani Razalan, provincial director of Ippo, commended the PDEU for the operation, highlighting community support in the fight against illegal drugs.
“Ginadayaw gid naton ang maayo nga performance sang aton PDEU, labi na gid sa pagkatikma sa mga drug personalities. Isa ini ka dako nga kadalag-an sa aton kampanya batok illegal nga droga. Ginapasalamatan ko man ang padayon nga pagsalig sang aton mga kasimanwa sa ila nga mga Ilonggo Cops,” Razalan said.
(We commend the good performance of our PDEU, especially in the arrest of drug personalities. This is a great victory in our campaign against illegal drugs. I also thank our fellow citizens for their continued trust in their Ilonggo Cops.)
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), also praised the success of the joint operation.
“This operation demonstrates our unyielding commitment to cleanse Western Visayas of illegal drugs and firearms. The arrest of these high-value individuals is a strong message that the PRO 6, together with the community, will relentlessly pursue those who continue to spread the scourge of drugs. We remain your Kasaligan, Kaapin, and Kaagapay in safeguarding lives and ensuring a safer region for all,” Ligan said.
The suspects are now detained at the Dingle Municipal Police Station and will face charges for violating Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act 0f 2013. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)