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[av_heading heading=’Many tips but still no sign of Prevendido ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO and MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) disclosed receiving a lot of information on the whereabouts of suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido. But the target remains at large.
“We are verifying these tips. Ang dami,” said Senior Superintendent Harold Tuzon, IPPO director.
Tuzon said his men received information that Prevendido was in the 2nd or 5th districts. He, however, declined to specify which town.
Assistant regional director Levi Ortiz of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) admitted that Prevendido, a resident of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district, was hard to catch.
“He was constantly moving. We even received reports that he already left Western Visayas,” said Ortiz.
But he expressed confidence that the suspected drug lord will soon be caught.
“Pag hindi sya mag-surrender, baka madisgrasya pa,” Ortiz said. “He can run but he can’t forever hide. Makukuha rin sya. Matiyaga ang mga operatives natin.”
A lot of suspected members of the Prevendido drug group were caught in recent months, including the “high-value” Bonie Prevendido, Richard’s nephew.
Bonie, a son of Barangay Captain Remia Gregori of Bakhaw, Mandurriao, and eight others were arrested in a buy-bust operation on Nov. 4 in Barangay Camandagan, Tobias Fornier, Antique.
Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, regional police director, recently promised to arrest Prevendido before the New Year.
“We will get Richard Prevendido, the top drug lord in Western Visayas, before 2016 ends,” he said.
He confirmed that all intelligence personnel of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) were in the field tracking Prevendido, a resident of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district.
“Hindi ‘yan aabot ng January 2017. Makukuha natin sya,” Gentiles said yesterday.
The police general declined to say where his men were looking for Prevendido or the areas where the suspect was believed to be hiding.
“I’m advising him to surface peacefully so he won’t be harmed,” said Gentiles.
PDEA raided Prevendido’s house and those of his relatives last month. Though he was not around, shabu worth P1.3 million were recovered and the suspected drug lord was subsequently charged with violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Gentiles said the PRO-6 expected the court to soon issue an arrest warrant against Prevendido.
“He won’t be harmed if he surrenders voluntarily,” said Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, PRO-6 spokesperson./PN
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