THE Iloilo City Police Office (Icpo) arrested 10 drug suspects, including three high-value individuals (HVIs) and seven street-level individuals (SVIs), and seized approximately 269 grams of shabu worth P1.83 million during a 24-hour operation from 6 a.m. of July 29 to 6 a.m. of July 30, 2025.
The intensified series of anti-drug operations, led by the Icpo City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) in coordination with various Iloilo City Police Stations (ICPS), resulted in seven separate buy-bust operations across the metro. The largest of these occurred in Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo District, at 10:42 p.m. on July 29, where four suspects were arrested and 110 grams of suspected shabu worth P748,000 were seized.
The series of coordinated operations included:
- Barangay Calaparan, Arevalo District (10:42 p.m., July 29): CDEU and Iloilo City Police Station (ICPS) 6 arrested alias Cyrel, 36, HVI; Tintin, 41, tricycle driver; Boy, 55, vendor; and Doods, 27, vendor. All suspects were residents of Calaparan except Doods, who hails from Barangay Boulevard, Molo. Seized: approx. 110g of suspected shabu, valued at P748,000, along with drug paraphernalia and buy-bust money.
- Barangay Democracia, Jaro District (1:55 a.m., July 30): CDEU and ICPS 9 arrested alias Tata, 56, construction worker, HVI. Recovered: 13 sachets containing approx. 55g of shabu, valued at P374,000, buy-bust money, and additional drug paraphernalia.
- Barangay Jereos, La Paz District (2:20 p.m., July 29): ICPS 2 arrested alias Mina, 40, call center agent, HVI, a resident of Barangay Caingin, La Paz District. Seized: approx. 50g of suspected shabu valued at P340,000.
- Barangay Rizal Pala-Pala I, City Proper District (11 p.m., July 29): ICPS 7 apprehended alias Kimpay, 55, single. Confiscated: approx. 40g of suspected shabu worth P272,000.
- Barangay San Isidro, Jaro District (9 p.m., July 29): ICPS 3 arrested alias Kate, 28, married. Recovered: approx. 5g of shabu worth P34,000.
- Barangay Sto. Rosario Duran, City Proper District (6:30 p.m., July 29): ICPS 1 arrested alias Daday, 50, SVI. Confiscated: approx. 4g of shabu valued at P27,200.
- Barangay San Pedro, Molo District (4:50 p.m., July 29): ICPS 4 arrested alias Toto, 25, SVI. Seized: approx. 5g of shabu valued at P34,000.
In total, authorities confiscated 60 sachets of suspected shabu or 269 grams with a combined estimated standard drug price of P1,829,200. All suspects are now under police custody and will be charged with violations of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
"These significant accomplishments are a result of dedication, operational excellence, and the strong collaboration between our law enforcers and the community. I urge all our police units to sustain this momentum and intensify efforts against those who continue to destroy lives through illegal drugs. Together, we will build a safer and drug-free Western Visayas," Police Brigadier General Josefino Ligan, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO 6).
Police Colonel Kim P. Legada, city director of Icpo also praised the police personnel for their relentless work.
“These accomplishments demonstrate Icpo’s firm commitment to cleansing our streets of the menace of illegal drugs,” Legada said. “Rest assured, Icpo will continue to serve and protect every Ilonggo through dedicated and quality police service, ensuring safety and making every resident and tourist feel secure, as part of our sworn duty.”
The Icpo attributed the success of these operations to intensified intelligence-gathering, inter-station coordination, and support from the community.
PRO 6 reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing efforts, calling on the public to report any drug-related activities.
“With continued community vigilance and dedicated police service, Iloilo City moves closer to being a safer place for everyone,” Ligan said. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)