ILOILO City – The operation of the region’s top drug suspect Ernesto “Erning” Bolivar had been crippled down by 80 to 90 percent, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6 (PDEA-6).
PDEA regional director Alex Tablate said this is in effect of their relentless battle against illegal drugs.
“I know he could not mobilize for now kasi tago siya ng tago. Marami kasi nag hunt sa kanya kaya hindi siya makakilos and once hindi ka makakilos automatically crippled ang operation,” said Tablate.
According to Tablate, Bolivar is being hunted down not only by the police and PDEA, but also the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other government forces.
Tablate revealed that their office continue to receive reports of his whereabouts.
The PDEA director believes that Bolivar is outside the region and the latest information showed that his drug operation really slowed down.
“Baka wala na siya dito, baka sa ibang lugar siya nag-ooperate kung saan hindi siya masyadong kilala,” Tablate added.
Police regional director Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, meanwhile, recently directed all his city and provincial police directors and other field units to monitor Bolivar’s whereabouts in their area of assignment.
“I instructed my men to not stop in monitoring Bolivar in their area of responsibility, baka nasa area lang nila na nagtatago. Dapat intensify nila ang barangay intelligence network nila kasi malaki ang maitutolong ng mga mamamayan,” said Pamuspusan.
There were reports that Bolivar was spotted several times in parts of Western Visayas and Metro Manila but still he has never been caught.
There were also reports that he is being protected by policemen and even businessmen.
The provincial government of Iloilo is dangling a P500,000 monetary reward to whoever could give information leading to the arrest of Bolivar, 41, of Barangay Guinacas, Pototan.
Bolivar was believed to be a minion of slain drug lord Richard Prevendido, stepping up drug trafficking activities after his boss died in a shootout with policemen on Sep. 1, 2017.
He has a pending arrest warrant for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. He was charged although he managed to escape from policemen trying to entrap him in a buy-bust operation at his house in Barangay Guinacas on Nov. 9, 2016.
The Bolivar drug group operates mainly in central and northern Iloilo province and parts of nearby Capiz./PN
