ILOILO — Alarmed by the seizure of nearly P22 million worth of suspected shabu in two recent anti-drug operations, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is pushing for tighter monitoring at Iloilo’s ports to stem the entry of illegal drugs into the province before they reach local communities.
Defensor acknowledged that the volume of illegal drugs confiscated in recent police operations points to a continuing supply chain feeding the province’s drug trade despite intensified enforcement efforts and the near-complete drug-cleared status of Iloilo’s barangays.
The governor’s concern follows a buy-bust operation in Oton town early Sunday that led to the arrest of three suspected high-value individuals and the confiscation of 2,055 grams, or more than two kilograms, of suspected shabu valued at P13.974 million. The suspects, identified only by their aliases “Boss,” 26; “Jude,” 32; and “Choco,” 28, were all reportedly residents of Molo, Iloilo City.
The operation came just days after authorities seized about 1,145 grams of suspected shabu worth P7.786 million from a provincial capitol employee during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Camambugan, Santa Barbara, on June 17. The suspect, identified as alias “Banny,” 51, had been working as a truck driver under the Provincial Engineer’s Office for 15 years.
“Yes, alarming. Buot silingon may ginahalinan,” Defensor said, while commending the Philippine National Police (PNP) for its intensified anti-illegal drug campaign.
However, Defensor stressed that arrests alone would not solve the problem and that authorities must focus on preventing illegal drugs from entering Iloilo through major ports, particularly the Port of Dumangas.
The governor said the provincial government is coordinating with the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) to establish small operation centers in ports to augment existing security measures and strengthen intelligence gathering.
He added that the province is awaiting the deployment of police personnel who will manage the proposed facilities.
Defensor said the provincial government is prepared to provide equipment, including K9 or sniffing dogs, to support drug interdiction efforts at ports. He noted that while sniffing dogs are already being used, they cannot effectively monitor all passengers and cargo entering the province, making additional manpower necessary.
“We are willing to create or put up a small OpCen (operation center) sa tanan nga ports of entry so that may monitoring kita sang nagasulod, so it can validate the intelligence work coming from the outside kay ang challenge sina dira indi tanan nga ports may x-ray. Indi ma-x-ray ang ro-ro. Ti ang best effort naton sniffing dogs. Indi mo na maubos bantayan. May resolution kita nga ginpasa sa Provincial Peace and Order Council and Regional Peace and Order Council nga maka-capacity building kita,” Defensor said.
Funding for the proposed operation centers will come from the provincial government’s peace and order budget, he added.
Defensor’s proposal comes amid observations from both the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency that buy-bust operations continue to uncover significant volumes of illegal drugs despite all but one barangay in Iloilo Province already being declared drug-cleared.
The governor said there is no indication that an organized drug syndicate controls the province’s illegal drug trade, but he stressed that persistent trafficking activity warrants stronger preventive measures at ports, similar to protocols used during the African Swine Fever and COVID-19 outbreaks./PN
