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[av_heading heading=’ 4 criminal gangs operate in northern Iloilo – Tayaba ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Friday, October 20, 2017
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ILOILO – Four criminal gangs engaged in robbery, drug trafficking, gunrunning, and gun-for-hire activities operate in northern Iloilo and one of these is being led by a former police officer, according to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, police provincial director, declined to name the gangs but said these carry out illegal activities in the municipalities of Sara, San Rafael, San Enrique, and Lemery.
“Lahat na ilegal na mapeperahan ginagawa nila. Ilan sa kanila ay mga bagong form, ang iba naman ay mga noon pa na huminto at ngayon bumuo ulit,” said Tayaba.
With the campaign against illegal drugs now the sole task of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Tayaba said the IPPO will focus on these four criminal groups. The Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and tracker team will be utilized.
The gang operating in Sara is the one with a former policeman as leader, according to the police director, citing intelligence information.
Members of this group included barangay officials, he added.
Aside from illegal drugs, goons were a problem in the 5th District, according to Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director. This is the reason why the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) campaign against criminality would be given more emphasis in the northern Iloilo district, he stressed.
The 5th District is made up of the municipalities of Ajuy, Balasan, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Estancia, Lemery, San Dionisio, San Rafael, and Sara.
According to Binag, the PRO-6 had received text messages about the illegal drug problem in the district and the criminal gangs operating in the area.
These messages were further boosted by tips gathered from various drop boxes that police stations in the district made available for people slip notes containing information on illegal drugs and armed groups./PN
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