ILOILO City – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s (IPPO) top cop has put up a P100,000 reward to any station chief in the province who can arrest the No. 1 drug suspect in Western Visayas.
Colonel Roland Vilela, IPPO director, has pledged the bounty – which will come from his own pocket – for the capture of Ernesto “Erning” Bolivar of Pototan, Iloilo.
Bolivar, 41, has become the prime target of authorities in the region after the death of drug lord Richard Prevendido in September 2017.
Alex Tablate, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6, said the reward from Vilela was a welcome effort.
“It is good to motivate our authorities,” he added. “Although it’s our work, the incentives initiated by Vilela can push police officers more.”
Tablate said PDEA-6 has been locating Bolivar, adding that they received reports of his whereabouts “but the operations turn out negative.”
The PDEA-6 top official appealed to the
public to communicate with the authorities any information that will lead to
the arrest of the region’s top drug suspect.
“The work does not only rely on the operatives. The community also has a
critical role, to provide us any information that might help,” Tablate said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Vilela said, “I understand their (police station chiefs’) struggles in locating Bolivar, and should they succeed, they (police chiefs) deserve a reward.”
“This is my little contribution to end the problem of illegal drugs in this part of the country,” he added.
Bolivar has a pending arrest warrant for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
He was believed to be a minion of slain drug lord Prevendido and stepped up drug trafficking activities after his boss died in a shootout with policemen on Sept. 1, 2017.
Sources also said Bolivar has tapped the services of “new players” in his drug trafficking operation to avoid detection.
He fled during a buy-bust at his house in Guinacas village, Pototan in November 2016.
The provincial government of Iloilo earlier this year also offered a reward of P500,000 to whoever could give information leading to the arrest of Bolivar. (With PNA/PN)
