THE JANUARY 12 anti-drug sting inside an access-controlled residential enclave in Bacolod City that led to the seizure of P8.8 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine) stands as a major accomplishment for the city police under the leadership of Colonel Joeresty Coronica.
This achievement was far from ordinary. It took police operatives six weeks of surveillance just to penetrate the exclusive subdivision in Barangay Mandalagan where the illegal drugs were kept.
Coronica said the success of the operation was made possible by tips and support from concerned citizens.
The raid resulted in the confiscation of about 1,300 grams of suspected shabu, allegedly intended for distribution during the highlights of Kabankalan’s Sinulog Festival on January 17 and 18.
The operation also led to the arrest of two high-value suspects: one from Camella Subdivision, Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City; and the other from Purok Paraiso, Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Police records show that one of the suspects is allegedly an officer of the Bugalon Drug Group, which operates in the 5th and 6th districts of southern Negros Occidental.
STERLING PERFORMANCE
Since Coronica assumed leadership of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) in July 2024, his track record in anti-drug operations has been nothing short of sterling.
Records show that from July 2024 to December 2025, the BCPO, under his watch, seized suspected shabu worth P234,841,925.64 and marijuana valued at P1,519,277.28 — a combined total of P236,361,202.92 worth of illegal drugs.
For me, Coronica perfectly embodies the phrase: “Saying less, seizing more.”
He is quiet and unassuming, yet his intelligence network is formidable and effective. There is no grandstanding — only results.
The recent Mandalagan raid is considered the biggest haul of the BCPO during his year-and-a-half leadership. Indeed, it is another feather in his cap.
BILIBID SOURCE
A deeper look into the shabu problem in Bacolod and Negros Occidental reveals a familiar and disturbing source: the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Notorious gangs operating inside the national penitentiary remain potent suppliers of illegal drugs, using local contacts — often former inmates — who already know the pasikot-sikot of the drug trade.
Coronica, however, refused to identify the specific Bilibid gang supplying shabu to Bacolod and Negros Occidental. He admitted, though, that syndicates linked to Bilibid are no ordinary criminal groups.
This is why he strongly supports the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) nationwide policy banning mobile phones inside jails.
“That’s where drug transactions are being hatched,” Coronica said during a press conference on Wednesday, January 14.
NEW TACTICS
Anti-drug operatives in Bacolod and Negros Occidental are also closely monitoring new tactics employed by drug syndicates.
These include sending shabu through various couriers, concealed in biscuit canisters, powdered milk pouches, fabric conditioner tubes, and other everyday items. In short, drug syndicates continue to evolve.
But police are not letting their guard down. They remain alert, watchful, and well-informed—often learning new modus operandi directly from arrested suspects.
“Mapagmatyag lang,” as they say.
NEVER-ENDING
This brings us to a lingering question: Why is the shabu trade a never-ending business in the Philippines?
Records show that for more than three decades, shabu — often tagged as the “poor man’s cocaine” — has remained one of the most lucrative commodities in the illegal drug trade.
My readings point to one fundamental reason behind this persistence, summed up in one word: poverty.
Many poor Filipinos are tempted to “bite the bullet” and become drug pushers due to economic hardship and lack of opportunities. For them, selling shabu appears to be the quickest — and sometimes the only — way to put food on the table.
They risk arrest — or even death — in exchange for survival. This is what I call the “science of the stomach.”
As long as the government fails to address the deeper socio-economic problems tied to this reality, the shabu trade will continue. That is the hard truth.
So yes, as long as poverty exists in the Philippines, shabu will remain a major headache for authorities.
For now, Bacolod is somewhat fortunate to be under what many might call the “Coronica era.”
Less talk. More seizures.
Coronica is more than just an asset to the City of Smiles.
But what happens when he leaves?
What comes next?
Let’s see./PN
