THREE high-value individuals (HVI) were arrested and about 196 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,332,800 were seized in separate anti-drug operations conducted from February 12 to February 13, 2026, in Tigbauan, Balasan and Barotac Viejo.
The biggest seizure was recorded in Tigbauan town, where personnel of the Tigbauan Municipal Police Station (MPS), in coordination with the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company (IPMFC) and the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group, arrested alias Francis, tagged as a HVI, during a buy-bust operation around 3:30 p.m. on February 12, 2026, in Barangay 8, Poblacion, Tigbauan, Iloilo.
Operatives confiscated about 75 grams of shabu with an estimated value of P510,000 and one break-type homemade caliber .22 pistol. The firearm was seized during the operation, prompting additional charges under Republic Act (RA) 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
In Balasan, police arrested alias Dol, an active Barangay tanod and listed as an HVI, in a drug-bust operation conducted at about 8 p.m. on February 12, 2026, in Barangay Camambugan. The operation was carried out by the Balasan Municipal Police Station together with the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Authorities recovered about 66 grams of shabu with a standard drug price of P448,800 from the suspect.
Meanwhile, in Barotac Viejo, alias Nonoy Lito, 43, also identified as a HVI, was arrested in a buy-bust operation around 1:45 a.m. on February 13, 2026, in Sitio Lumboy, Barangay San Roque. Police seized approximately 55 grams of shabu valued at P374,000.
All three suspects are now under police custody.
They will face charges for violations of RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The suspect in Tigbauan will also face charges for violating RA 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, due to the confiscated firearm.
The operations form part of the continuing efforts of the Police PRO 6 and the Ippo to curb illegal drug activities in the province.
Police said the coordinated actions of municipal police stations and provincial mobile force units were aimed at dismantling drug networks and preventing the distribution of illegal drugs in communities across Iloilo Province.
Authorities reiterated their call for public cooperation in reporting suspicious activities as part of the government’s intensified anti-illegal drug campaign.
The confiscated suspected shabu will be submitted to the crime laboratory for qualitative and quantitative examination, while documentation and case filing are being prepared against the arrested individuals.
The arrests were part of the intensified campaign of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6) through the Iloilo Police Provincial Office.
Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the PRO 6, commended the operating units for the series of successful operations.
“These accomplishments are the result of the dedication and deep commitment of our personnel to their duty and to the welfare of the community. We urge everyone to stand with us in this campaign toward a drug-free Western Visayas,” Ligan said. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)