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[av_heading heading=’La Paz antidrug op nets Lapuz ‘tanod’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA and RUBY SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – A village watchman was caught in a sting operation staged by antidrug police officers in Barangay Divinagracia, La Paz district.
Ereberto Regalado was a “high-value” drug target, according to the city police.
The 36-year-old tanod commander in Barangay Alalasan, Lapuz was also a former soldier.
“We have been monitoring him for months, but he was quite slippery,” Senior Inspector Rey Sumagaysay, La Paz police chief, said in a radio interview.
Regalado was detained in the La Paz police station lockup cell.
“We also received information that he is using a barangay hall to sell drugs,” said Sumagaysay.
Police said Regalado sold to an undercover officer a plastic pack of suspected shabu for P300. Three more plastic packs of the substance, a mobile phone and a motorcycle were seized from him.
Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group operatives of the La Paz police station staged the buy-bust around 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1.
Prior to the operation, Sumagaysay said they had Regalado followed to Jaro district.
Sources told Panay News Regalado gets his supply from Barangay Desamparados, Jaro, and is associated with Richard Prevendido, suspected leader of the Prevendido drug group.
He also uses a barangay patrol vehicle in peddling drugs, sources said.
Regalado denied the allegations. He said he did not own the suspected shabu recovered from him. “Wala ako gabaligya (I do not sell drugs),” he said in a radio interview.
Previously Regalado surrendered to the police in line with the knock-and-appeal stage of Oplan Double Barrel, but as a self-confessed drug user, Sumagaysay said.
Meanwhile Alalasan barangay captain Maricon Sumpio insisted Regalado was not selling drugs.
“Actually na-Tokhang na sia,” Sumpio said over the radio. “Ginpa-drug test ko na sia (recently), negative man. Bulan-bulan gina-update ko na sia.”
He believes the suspected shabu seized from the tanod were “planted.”
Sumpio said he made Regalado a village watchman believing the latter has changed.
“Ang tawo nagabag-o man mo (People change),” he said./PN
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