[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’‘Buang’ now nat’l drug target – Gentiles ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Friday, January 27, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
ILOILO City – With a million pesos reward for his capture, suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido is now a “national high-value drug target”, according to Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, regional police director.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) expects to receive more tips from informants interested to get the monetary reward, he added.
“We are hoping Prevendido will be arrested sooner than later. Kasi marami ang magka-interest sa laki ng bounty,” said Gentiles.
The Iloilo City Peace and Order Council is offering half a million pesos to whoever could give information leading to the successful arrest of Prevendido, a resident of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district.
Its provincial counterpart is dangling the same monetary reward, too.
Gentiles said the PRO-6 is adding P50,000 more, pushing the total reward higher.
Last month, Gentiles gave his men until the end of December 2016 to arrest Prevendido whom the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) identified as the drug lord “Buang.” But the cops failed to beat the police general’s deadline.
Now that the bounty has reached a million pesos, is more confident that the suspect would be caught.
“Not only government forces are hunting Prevendido down but also his own group members and other criminal gangs, Gentiles claimed.
“Marami na ang mga maghahanap sa kanya,” said Gentiles. “We are happy that the city and provincial governments are cooperating with us.”
The arrest of Prevendido will dramatically lower the supply of shabu in the region, said Gentiles.
“At hindi na matatawag ang area natin na most shabu-lized,” he added.
The PRO-6 and PDEA have been focused on catching the elusive Prevendido after the death of suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. of Barangay Tanza Esperanza, City Proper in August last year.
In October, PDEA operatives raided Prevendido’s house and those of his relatives in Barangay Bakhaw. They recovered shabu.
Early this month, the court issued an arrest warrant against Prevendido for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
On Jan. 16, operatives of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) scoured a hinterland barangay in the municipality of Anilao, Iloilo for Prevendido.
The village of Agsalanan in Dingle town where Prevendido had relatives was also checked.
Reports also said Prevendido was spotted in Capiz./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
