OPERATIVES OF the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Balasan Municipal Police Station (MPS), under the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo), arrested a high-value individual and seized 55 grams of suspected shabu worth P374,000 during a drug-bust operation in Barangay Camambugan, Balasan, Iloilo at 11:50 a.m. on March 9, 2026.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro (Example of style) and Colonel Bayani Razalan, provincial director of the Ippo, commended the Balasan MPS for the operation and the cooperation of residents who provided information.
“Congratulations Balasan MPS sa inyo madinalag-on nga pagkadakop sang isa na naman ka-identified high-value drug personality dira sa inyo lugar. Ginapasalamatan man naton ang pagsalig sang aton mga pumuluyo sa banwa sang Balasan pinaagi sa pagpadangat sang impormasyon sa aton kapulisan. Padayon ang aton mabaskog nga kampanya kontra ilegal nga droga sa bug-os nga probinsya sang Iloilo,” Razalan said.
(Congratulations Balasan MPS on your successful arrest of another identified high-value drug personality in your area. We also thank the trust of our residents in Balasan town by providing information to our police. Our strong campaign against illegal drugs continues throughout the province of Iloilo.)
Authorities identified the suspect as alias Jeff, 26, single, unemployed, and a resident of Barangay Balanti-an, Balasan, Iloilo. Police classified the suspect as a high-value individual (HVI).
The SDET of the Balasan MPS, led by Captain Patrick John DC Alabado, officer-in-charge, carried out the operation.
Police reports said the suspect sold suspected shabu to an undercover officer during the buy-bust in Barangay Camambugan.
Confiscated from the suspect were 55 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of P374,000.
Investigators said the operation stemmed from information provided by citizens regarding the suspect’s involvement in illegal drug activities.
Operatives conducted three weeks of surveillance that confirmed the suspect's drug activities, including sourcing illegal drugs from Estancia, Iloilo and distributing them in Balasan. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)