A HIGH-VALUE individual (HVI) was arrested and about 84.9 grams of shabu worth P578,000 were seized in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Balantian, Balasan, Iloilo, on Sunday morning, October 26, 2025, around 9:20 a.m.
Operatives of the Balasan Municipal Police Station (MPS), in coordination with the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company (IPMFC), carried out the operation that led to the arrest of alias Richard, 35, a resident of the same barangay and listed as an HVI.
Police said the suspect sold one plastic sachet of shabu to a poseur buyer in exchange for P10,000 in marked buy-bust money. Authorities later recovered four more plastic sachets of shabu, the marked money, and other non-drug items.
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6), commended the coordinated efforts of the operating units for their continued success in the anti-drug campaign.
“This arrest demonstrates our unyielding commitment to rid Western Visayas of illegal drugs. We will continue to intensify our operations and ensure that those involved in the drug trade are held accountable,” said Ligan.
The suspect is currently detained at the Balasan MPS for proper disposition and will face charges for violations of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
These offenses are punishable by life imprisonment to death and fines ranging from P500,000 to P10 million. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)