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[av_heading heading=’Antidrug task force for Negros ports mulled’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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February 17, 2018
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ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) plans to form a multi-sectoral antidrug task force to guard seaports in Negros Occidental.
These ports are in Bacolod City, San Carlos City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, Cadiz City, Victorias City, and Escalante City.
According to PRO-6 spokesperson Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, recent arrests in Iloilo confirmed the pervasiveness of drug trafficking in Negros Occidental, and seaports appeared to have been used to transport shabu.
On Jan. 28, two Negros-bound drug suspects were caught with a kilo of shabu in Dumangas, Iloilo before they could board a ship at the town’s seaport.
According to Jose Alberto Pinaga, 32, and Maebelle Belmonte, 30, they got the shabu – valued at P18 million – from Batangas and they were supposed to deliver it to a drug syndicate in Negros.
The suspects, both residents of Silay City, Negros Occidental, told investigators this was supposedly their third delivery of shabu to the syndicate; the first was made in Dec. 22, 2017 and the second was in early January 2018.
The two claimed they were paid P50,000 for each delivery.
Gorero said the PRO-6 will tap the Maritime Command and Philippine Coast Guard among other stakeholders to form the task force.
The Negros Occidental police identified two of the drug groups operating in the province and Bacolod City – the Divinagracia and Cuadra groups.
On Feb. 5 three persons caught in an antidrug operation in Barangay Quintin Salas, Jaro district claimed they got their shabu from a Bacolod City-based drug syndicate.
Operatives of Iloilo City Police Office’s City Drug Enforcement Unit seized shabu worth P70,000 from Kyle Brian Siva of Barangay Buhang, Jaro; John Bantiles of Alta Tierra Village, Jaro; and Joji Diaz of Barangay Manguna, Cabatuan, Iloilo.
Negros Occidental’s illegal drug problem appeared worse than Iloilo’s, according to Gorero, citing the number of drug personalities who voluntarily surrendered or got arrested these past two months.
Between Dec. 5, 2017 and Feb. 5, 2018, 66 drug personalities surrendered to the Bacolod City Police Office and 62 to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
On the other hand, 126 drug suspects were caught in antidrug operations in Bacolod City and 93 in Negros Occidental.
Among the police offices in Western Visayas, PRO-6 data showed Bacolod City and Negros Occidental having the most number of drug surrenderers during the two-month period.
The Antique Police Provincial Office was third at 44 drug surrenderers.
Bacolod City and Negros Occidental also had the most number of drug suspects arrested in sting operations during the period. Iloilo City trailed them with 37 caught drug suspects./PN
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