THREE drug personalities, including a former police officer and an incumbent barangay kagawad, were arrested after authorities seized around 310 grams of shabu worth P2,108,000 in a buy-bust in Barangay Licu-an, Dingle, Iloilo.
The operation was conducted at 3:05 p.m. Sunday, February 15, 2026.
Arrested were alias Eduard, 51, married, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) member and listed as a high-value individual (HVI); alias Kor, 55, married, an incumbent barangay kagawad and newly identified HVI; and alias Jay, 28, a street-level individual (SLI).
All are residents of Barangay Licu-an, Dingle, Iloilo.
The Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Team 2 of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (Ippo), led by Police Major Dadje Delima, carried out the operation with support from the Dingle Municipal Police Station (MPS) and the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Ippo.
Authorities said the operation stemmed from information provided by concerned citizens regarding the suspects’ alleged illegal drug activities.
After six months of validation, surveillance and case buildup, operatives confirmed the reports and conducted the buy-bust.
Investigators said the suspects allegedly sourced their illegal drugs from Iloilo City and distributed them in Dingle, Iloilo.
Confiscated during the operation were one heat-sealed plastic sachet used as the buy-bust item, four large heat-sealed plastic sachets and two regular-sized heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu, buy-bust money, and other non-drug items.
The seized shabu has a standard drug price of P2,108,000.
The three suspects are under the custody of the Dingle MPS for proper disposition. Charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against them.
“Let this serve as a strong warning that no one is above the law. Regardless of status, position, or former affiliation, we will relentlessly pursue individuals involved in the illegal drug trade. This operation demonstrates our firm commitment to cleanse our communities from the menace of illegal drugs,” said Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6).
He said the PRO 6 will continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations in close coordination with local government units and the community to ensure a safer and drug-free Western Visayas.
Police Colonel Bayani Razalan, provincial director of the Ippo, also commended the operating units for the successful operation.
The Ippo said it will sustain its intensified anti-illegal drug campaign to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province. (Leo Solinap)