A HIGH-VALUE individual (HVI) was arrested and more than P504,968 worth of substance believed to be shabu was seized in an anti-drug operation conducted by the Estancia Municipal Police Station (MPS) Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) at the Estancia Public Cemetery, Barangay Tacbuyan, Estancia, Iloilo, on August 26, 2025.
Police Colonel Bayani Razalan, provincial director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), commended the Estancia police for the successful operation and stressed the importance of public cooperation in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“Ang aton kampanya batok sa ilegal nga droga labi pa gid naton nga pasangkaron, ang inyo mga Ilonggo Cops ang indi magduha duha nga dakpon ang mga indibidwal nga may kahilabtanan sa ilegal droga kag pasabton sa aton hustisya,” Razalan said.
(We will intensify our campaign against illegal drugs. Your Ilonggo cops will not hesitate to arrest individuals involved in the drug trade and bring them to justice.)
Police Major John Salvador Bello, chief of Estancia MPS, led the 5:47 a.m. operation that resulted in the arrest of alias Nog-Nog or Nonoy Negro, 27, a tricycle driver and resident of Clement Street, Poblacion Zone 2, Estancia.
The suspect yielded around 74.26 grams of suspected shabu valued at P504,968 based on the Standard Drug Price (SDP).
Police said the operation stemmed from almost two months of intelligence gathering and validation with the help of concerned citizens. Reports indicated that Nog-Nog sourced his drug supply from Roxas City and distributed it in neighboring barangays of Estancia.
He is now detained at Estancia MPS and will face charges for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Razalan assured that under his leadership, the IPPO remains committed to eradicating illegal drugs to safeguard the safety and security of the Ilonggo community. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)