CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga -- The chief of police of Bacolor, eight agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Central Luzon and three from the Pampanga Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) were ordered relieved on Thursday, May 11, following the so-called “tanim droga” incident in Bacolor town recently.
Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Luzon director, has ordered the relief of Chief Inspector Sonia Alvarez, chief of police of Bacolor.
The three policemen relieved and the other agents involved, however, were not immediately named.
Aquino said he has ordered the relief of the personnel involved in the buy-bust operations against one Wilfredo Galura in order not to white wash the investigation.
PDEA-Central Luzon Director Juvenal Azurin said all his agents relieved were ordered to report to the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City.
On April 26 at about 7:00 pm combined operatives of PDEA-Central Luzon PDEU and Bacolor police conducted a buy-bust operation against Galura in his carinderia in Barangay Sta. Ines, Bacolor, Pampanga.
During the operation Galura managed to escape and he is still at large, police said.
Azurin said Galura is listed as a High Value Target considered. He is a reportedly an employee of the Pampanga Provincial Engineer’s Office.
Azurin said that PDEA-Central Luzon conducted surveillance operations for several months before they conducted the drug bust operation against Galura.
Aquino for his part added that appropriate charges were filed in court against Galura.
Earlier, Galura, 52, complained that he was victimized by the said “modus operandi” launched by alleged personnel of the Bacolor Police Station, Pampanga police and PDEA-Central Luzon.
Galura refuted the police reports and complaint filed against him and five others by authorities for alleged illegal possession of firearms and prohibited drugs.
Allegedly, Galura and his employees became a subject of police operation conducted on April 26 at an eatery he owns in Barangay Sta. Ines here but Galura was able to elude authorities, as stated on the police report.
The arresting officers also stated in the affidavit that Galura threw his. 45 caliber firearm and a medium size heat sealed plastic containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as "shabu," while he was being chased by authorities until he gained entry to his residence in the same barangay.
A recorded footage of a closed circuit television (CCTV) installed inside the residence of Galura, however, did not show any chasing incident nor did it capture Galura anywhere near or around his house during the time of arrest.
Galura vehemently denied the reports and asserted that he was on a meeting in Lubao town when the said police operations transpired contrary to police claims that he just eluded arrest.
He added that the alleged evidence he threw were “just planted” and the reports were merely “fabricated.”
Galura now claims that he is a victim of an alleged “tanim-droga” modus which targets innocent and helpless individuals. (Ric Sapnu/With Princess Clea Arcellaz)