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Hubby of Jaro ‘kap’ linked to Prevendido drug group ‘ 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 P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – A drug suspect and husband of the barangay captain of Desamparados, Jaro district hanged himself inside the lockup cell of Police Station 4 in General Santos City, South Cotabato province.
Rusty Jablo was found hanging from the ceiling of the cell’s toilet around 5:40 a.m. yesterday. He tied a blanket around his neck.
Jablo was still breathing, though. He was rushed to the hospital where he died an hour after.
According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6, the husband of Barangay Captain Noemi Jablo was a subgroup leader of suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district.
“He hid in General Santos City. He knew we were running after him,” said Assistant Regional Director Levi Ortiz.
Jablo’s barangay captain-wife, meanwhile, faces investigation before the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on police matters, public safety and illegal drugs over the rampant drug trafficking in Barangay Desamparados.
Ortiz described Rusty Jablo as a “high-value” PDEA and police drug target.
Jablo had not been seen in Iloilo City since July, the start of the Philippine National Police’s Oplan Double Barrel against illegal drug traffickers.
On Nov. 18, new broke out that Jablo took a six-month-old baby hostage in Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City.
The baby was a ward of Jablo’s second cousin Edesa who worked as nanny in that city.
With a knife, Jablo took the baby to Police Station 4 around 5:45 p.m. and demanded media coverage; he claimed he had something important to say, according to Police Officer 1 Roel Aparoso of the General Santos City Police Office.
“Sabi niya ang pumatay sa kanyang kapatid na si Carcar noong October was ‘yong drug lord sa Iloilo City (Prevendido),” said Aparoso.
The General Santos City police subdued Jablo and saved the baby.
According to reports from General Santos City, Jablo was acting strangely while in detention. He was repeatedly saying he feared for his life and believed the Prevendido drug group was after him.
His brother Carcar Jablo, 27, was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Barangay Desamparados, Jaro. He died of multiple gunshot wounds at the Iloilo Mission Hospital.
The Jaro police believed the killing was drug-related.
Ortiz said Rusty Jablo’s death was a big loss to the Prevendido drug group.
“Malaking kawalan kasi may down line siya eh,” said Ortiz.
Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, Region 6 police director, agreed with Ortiz.
“Somehow there would be scarcity of illegal drugs here,” Gentiles said.
Richard Prevendido, however, remains at large.
March this year, Jablo was linked to the unauthorized collection of fees from vendors doing business in and around the public plaza of Jaro. It wasn’t known then what he was into drug trafficking./PN
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