PNP busy drug-busting, not on illegal gambling

A series of drug-busting operations contrasted sharply against the bare thoroughfares in the city during the Holy Week with head-turning hauls.

Even on a Black Saturday, the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) proceeded with the scheduled buy-bust operation at 2:30 p.m. in barangay San Isidro in Dauis which resulted to the arrest of one Ramil Neniel and a pot session buddy, Diosdado Heken.

When the PPSC team, led by PSupt. Nicomedes Olaivar Jr., pursued Neniel after the police asset succeeded in causing him to produce two small sachets of shabu during the transaction, they found the suspect having a pot session with Heken.

The police team, recovered the two small transparent sachets containing shabu that Neniel sold to the poseur-buyer and the 1,000-peso bill used as marked money.

The arresting officers also confiscated one big pack of dried marijuana leaves from Neniel.

From Heken, they confiscated three small sachets containing crystalline granules believed to be shabu, four small empty cellophane sachets containing traces of shabu, four improvised tooter, one tinfoil strip, two disposable lighters, one mint candy box which contained the three sachets of suspected shabu.

At dawn on Maundy Thursday, the city police took its turn on Ginomar Pilayre, 24, married and a resident of Ma. Clara St., Poblacion 2 of Tagbilaran City who had just been arrested by the PPSC-Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) in a raid on March 6.

The City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (CAIDSOTG) led by Police Inspector Adriano Bacus and SPO3 Yolando Bagotchay Jr. cornered Pilayre in a buy-bust operation right in his turf at Ma. Clara St. at 1:30 a.m.

Olaivar once described Pilayre as “big-time pusher and notorious”.

This time, Bagotchay’s team confirmed it after having recovered the cellophane sachet of shabu placed inside a larger cellophane and wrapped with a piece of paper that the poseur-buyer purchased from Pilayre during the buy-bust operation and the 500-peso bill used as marked money.

The arresting officers also seized another two more 500-peso bills from the suspect, the suspect’s driver’s license, am M Lhuillier card and loyalty card, and the Nokia cellphone and Honda Wave motorcycle bearing plate no. 1942-GF that he used in the transaction.

The buy-bust operation was witnessed by Poblacion 2 Kagawads Jordan Borces and Roy Navia, representatives of the media, Zacarias Castro for the Department of Justice, and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

At 6:10 p.m. of the same day, the city police team conducted another buy-bust operation in barangay Bool which resulted to the arrest of one Rio Ahat, 22, single and a resident of barangay Bool.

The arresting officers recovered one sachet of shabu which the poseur-buyer purchased from Ahat and the 500-peso bill used as marked money. They also seized two more sachets of shabu, Ahat’s cellphone and the P50 cash in his possession during that time.

Both Pilayre and Ahat are now temporarily detained at the city PNP lock-up jail; while waiting for the charges of drug pushing will be filed against them, for violating Section 5 Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

The inventory of seized items was witnessed by Bool Barangay Captain Nestor Mendez, Barangay Kagawad Marcial Capayas and representatives of the media, DOJ and PDEA.

Meanwhile, two women who visited suspected drug pushers recently arrested in a buy-bust operation at Espuelas Extension of Poblacion 3, this city were caught in possession of prohibited drugs.

Linda dela Peña, 32, single and a resident of barangay Tabahan in Guindulman was there to visit Paul Bernadas III who was detained after being arrested during a buy-bust operation last month.

Rubilyn Namalata, 28, single and a resident of Espuelas Extension, Poblacion 3 was visiting Albert Dangoy who was arrested for conspiring with Bernadas on the night the buy-bust operation was conducted.

Jail Officer 1 Joel Bagundol inspected the food containers that dela Peña and Namalata were bringing for their live-in partners–Bernadas and Dangoy–at around 12:20 noon on April 3 and discovered the one milileter of Nalbin Ampule concealed beneath the container.

Dela Peña admitted that the Nalbin Ampule found in Namalata’s food container was hers.

The women were detained at the City PNP lock-up jail while waiting for the filing of charges of illegal possession of prohibited drugs against them, based on Section 11 Article II of RA 9165.

The inventory of the item seized from the women were witnessed by Cabawan Barangay Kagawad Armand Cadayday, SPO3 Bagotchay Jr., and representatives of DOJ and the media.

No news on illegal gambling

Meantime, amid public uproar that “swertres” was back with impunity after a hiatus of a few weeks, no news appeared on that illegal gambling front.

There is ,however, an ongoing Holy Week “cleansing” versus the illegal gambling trade nationwide. News regarding the new “resurrection” of illegal gambling in the province had apparently reached the president’s office while President Aquino was on an official visit to Cambodia till three days ago.

Senior Supt Ramiro Bausa ,city chief of police of Muntinglupa and 20 other of his PNP officers in that place were sacked after an NBI raided a regular jueteng draw in a house in the Putatan district of the city under the “one strike policy” of the government.

Bohol has long been identified as a “hot bed” of swertres by the authorities.

Meantime, PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome ordered the relief of the deputy chief of CIDG-Eastern Visayas , Chief Inspector Barnardo Lao along with four of his officers who were implicated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in illegal activities in nearby Ormoc City.

Apparently, the government is using the NBI and the PDEA to implement its wide net tool to curb both the illegal gambling and drug use maladies.

When are they set to come to Bohol?