Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas director | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police Brigadier Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said that Talisay City had continued to be infested with illegal drugs even with the continuous anti-illegal drug operations in the city.

Sinas said that even with the change of leadership in the Talisay Police, with the Police Major Orlando Carag Jr. taking over the city’s police force, they could not loosen their grip on the city because of the continuous scattered drug trade.

“Giampingan na namo ang Talisay nga dili gyod mamalik. (We are cautious so none of the big time drug traders will return to  Talisay City),” said Sinas.

Drug users rampant

Sinas said the main problem of Talisay City was that drug users were still rampant in the area, and even if the police would continue to go after the traders, they would find a way to come back because users were still willing to buy illegal drugs.

Despite the wellness and rehabilitation programs conducted by the police, local government unit, and other agencies, he said there were still many drug users in the city.

He said the anti-illegal drugs operations in the city might have weeded out the high-level and notorious pushers, but the recent drug traders that had been caught, and even died in buy-bust operations, were new names to the drug trade.

The most recent deaths were the three individuals who died after resisting arrest in Barangay Biasong on Thursday afternoon, July 25, 2019.

Talisay City Police identified those killed as drug suspects, Vernabe Suello, Aniceto Daug daug and Julie Daug daug.

Sinas said that most of the drug suspects, who had been caught or killed in drug busts had been in and out of prison.

He said they had been monitoring closely previously jailed drug traders because they would often build new links inside the jail.

Vigilantes

Yet, Sinas said he was also worried that the intensified anti-drug operations had been encouraging vigilante killings such as that of an alleged robber who was found dead hanging at the Mananga Bridge on July 22.

Reynante Otero was found suspended from the Mananga Bridge with a rope tied around his neck, and his face covered with a cloth.

“We do not tolerate it (vigilante killings) really. We will not be checking. We don’t encourage vigilantes. Kung vigilante ka, dakpon gihapon ka namo. (If you are a vigilante, we will still arrest you),” said Sinas.

Jimbo Gadiano, 33, who hails from Barangay Lawaan III, in Talisay City, was shot multiple times in the body and was left to die.

Residents of the area said that gunshots had been heard around 4 a.m.

Talisay Police are still investigating the cause and motive of the killing./dbs

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These are the items confiscated from a high-value target who was caught during a buy bust operation in Barangay Sambag 2 on Tuesday dawn, September 10, 2019. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines —A woman considered as a high-value target (HVT) who has been evading the police for about five months was finally arrested along Visitacion Street in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, on Tuesday dawn, September 10, 2019.

Mary Joy “Joy-Joy” Lavistre Villamala, 25, and a resident of Sitio Lower Kawayan, Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City, was caught during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Abellana Police Station, together with the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU), and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Central Visayas (PDEA-7).

Seized from Villamala was an estimated 200 grams of suspected shabu with a dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P1,360,000.

Police Major Eduard Sanchez, chief of the Abellana Police Station, told CDN Digital that it took them a while to arrest Villamala as she kept transferring from one place to another within Cebu City.

“Nag lisod mi ani niya kay sige balhin-balhin unya mo tungha dayun kalit napud kawala,” said Sanchez. 

(We were having a difficult time locating her because she kept transferring,  she would reappear but then disappear again.)

It was not until the last two weeks that they finally locked in on Villamala.

Sanchez said Villamala was placed in the HVT list as she is able to dispose at least one kilo of shabu every week since the police received reports about her involvement with drugs five months ago.

He also said that Villamala may have possibly taken over supplying the clients of her older brother, who was shot dead in an armed encounter with authorities in 2016.

While the opearation led to the arrest of Villamala, Sanchez said the investigation will still continue as they try to trace the other cohorts of Villamala and also try to find out  the possibility of her being a member of a big-time drug group in Cebu City. /bmjo

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Rommel Llatona, from Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City, is caught with P2 million worth of suspected illegal drugs in Mandaue City. CDN Digital photo | Norman Mendoza

Mandaue City, Cebu—A 23-year-old jobless man was nabbed by police with more than P2 million worth of suspected shabu in a drug operation past 6 p.m. on Friday evening October 4, 2019, in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City.

The person was identified by police as Rommel Llatona, who is from Barangay Pahina Central, Cebu City.

The arresting team recovered six plastic packs containing white crystalline powder believed to be shabu, each weighing 50 grams, for a total of 300 grams.

Based on the Dangerous Drug Board value, the 300 grams is estimated to be worth P2,040,000 at P6,800 per gram.

The operation was conducted by the elements of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) of Mandaue City Police Office led by Police Major Regino Maramag.

Llatona is currently detained at the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) holding cell pending the filing of appropriate charges against him. /bmjo

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Three were nabbed in a drug operation in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City by Mandaue police. CDN Digital photo | Norman Mendoza

Cebu City, Philippines—Three persons were nabbed by police in a drug operation in Ponce 1, Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, past 6 p.m. Monday, October 7, 2019.

The arrested persons were identified as Archie Tolentino, 31, from Carreta; Bobby Garces, 45, from  Barangay Babag II; and Antonio Umpad, 35, a resident of Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City.

According to Police Major Aldrin Villacampa, Chief of Opao Police Station in Mandaue City, they conducted this operation in Cebu City since this was a follow-up after receiving a  tip from an arrested drug personality in Mandaue about the source of his illegal drugs.

The operation was done in coordination with the  Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Police confiscated several drug paraphernalia and packets of alleged crystal meth estimated to be worth P30,000.

It was also later found out that Tolentino’s rented room was used as a drug den.

Meanwhile, just before midnight of Sunday, Mandaue Police conducted a police checkpoint along AC Cortes Avenue in Barangay Cambaro, wherein they arrested 15 persons for possession of illegal drugs and paraphernalia. They also confiscated a .45 caliber pistol from one of them. /bmjo

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The suspected illegal drugs seized from a buy bust operation held Monday in Talisay City. | Contributed photo

Cebu City, Philippines—The Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) seized at least P2 million worth of illegal drugs in a  buy-and-bust operation in Barangay Lawaan 2, Talisay City, Cebu at around 3 a.m. on Monday, October 14, 2019.

Arrested during the operation was the target identified as Rogelio Delubio Amion, 43 years old. He was arrested along with four other men who were with him during the operation.

According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Marlu Conag, head of PIB, they found the group in possession of at least 360 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P2,400,000.

Police are still working to determine the identities of the four others nabbed as of this posting. /bmjo

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The turnover ceremony of Police Major Orlando Carag Jr., to Police Major Gerard Pelare as the new Talisay City Police chief ata round 5 p.m. today, October 14, 2019. | Photo from Police Major Gerard Pelare

CEBU CITY, Philippines —The new police chief of the Talisay City police has vowed to continue the war against drugs in the city.

Police Major Gerard Pelare, who is the head of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, has assumed as the new Talisay City chief on Monday afternoon (October 14).

Pelare replaced Police Major Orlando Carag Jr., who had been the Talisay City Police chief since July 5, 2019.

Read more: Talisay City Police Office to have new chief

Carag in an interview with reporters said that he had been appointed as a staff member of Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, who is the new National Capital Region Police Office director.

Pelare, for his part, said  he would continue the programs against illegal drugs from his two predecessors.

Read more: New chief for Talisay City police

He was referring to Carag and Lieutenant Colonel Marlu Conag, whom Carag replaced as Talisay City Police Chief.

“Dugangan lang siguro nato og new approaches that would involve the community,” said Pelare. 

(Maybe we will just add new approach that would involve the community.)

Pelare said he was confident they would be able to conduct more anti-illegal drug follow-up operations that had been the programs of his two predecessors’ monitoring.

He said he would also be observing the productivity of their sub-station in Barangay Tangke, and if there would be a need to deploy more men to strengthen police force in the area, he would fill that need also./dbs

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CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Eastern Visayas (PDEA-8) arrested five men from Cebu after confiscating from them at least 80 kilos of suspected shabu in a checkpoint in Barangay Buñagan, Gandara, Samar at around 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

The 88 kilos has an estimate dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P598,400,000.

According to Rogelette Urgel, public information officer (PIO) of PDEA-8, the group has been constantly monitored since September 2019 after verified reports that they pass through the area with the illegal drugs that will be shipped to Cebu.

The suspects were identified as Jeralou Rapuela; Elbert Abella, 57 years old from Barangay Lutopan, Toledo City, Cebu; Leonard delos Reyes, 33 years old, from Mandaue City, Cebu; Cesar Uy, 44 years old from Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City; and Steven Perez, 37 years old also from Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

The suspects are currently at the PDEA-8 office in Palo Leyte for background checking. /bmjo

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Jed Cortes, 35 and Marilyn Istur, 57, both of Cabancalan, Mandaue City have been caught with P136,000 worth of shabu. |Norman V. Mendoza

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu, Philippines — A 57-year-old woman and her cohort were arrested by police in a buy-bust operation at past 4 p.m. today, October 19, at Barangay Cabancalan, Mandaue city.

Marilyn Istur, and Jed Cortes, 35, who are both residing at the place, were caught with an estimated 20 grams of suspected Crystal meth or “shabu” worth P136,000 based on Dangerous Drugs Board value.

Police Captain James Conaco, Basak Police Station chief, said that they were tipped by an arrested drug pusher about his source in Barangay Cabancalan.

Twenty grams of suspected shabu and P1,000 cash are among the things that have been confiscated by the raiding police team. |Norman V. Mendoza

Thus, a follow-up operation was conducted which resulted to the arrest of the suspects.

Both denied they had long been into this illegal drug activity.

Cortes is detained at Basak Police Station while Istur was detained at the Mandaue City Police Office Headquarters holding cell.

Conaco, for his part, said that Istur and Cortes had lonh been in the drug watchlist of the police since last year./dbs

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MANILA, Philippines – Even as the Philippine National Police (PNP) takes the forefront of the government’s drug war, some 454 of its own personnel who were found guilty of involvement in the drug trade have been dismissed from service, Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the PNP, said Monday.

Gamboa said that the data covering July 2016 until September 20, 2019 shows that 352 personnel tested positive for drug use, while another 102 were involved in other drug-related activities including coddling drug lords.

Gamboa, who is himself one of the candidates to be the 23rd PNP chief, said in a press briefing that the data is part of the “significant highlights” of the internal cleansing program of the PNP, as the organization recently found itself hounded by the controversy on drug recycling.

He said he released the figures to “inform the public how dead serious the PNP is in running after rogues in uniform.”

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the numbers include non-uniformed personnel of the PNP or those involved in administrative tasks.

According to Gamboa, the 454 personnel are among the 9,172 officers and staff who have been penalized with administrative charges due to involvement in criminal activities and violation of rules and regulations of the PNP.

He said this figure is roughly 4.7 percent of the total number of PNP personnel currently in service.

In total, there were 2,806 personnel dismissed from the service during the period; 535 were demoted in rank; 4,721 were suspended; 762 were reprimanded; 60 were restricted to quarters; 208 were forfeited of salary; and 80 were withheld of privileges.

Gamboa said that in 2019 alone, 2,286 personnel were slapped with penalties for administrative cases. /je

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PDEA-7 Director Wardley Getalla (left) and PRO-7 director Police Brigadier General Valeriano de Leon hold a press conference at the PRO-7 headquarters along Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines —The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) has set a schedule for the  destruction of confiscated drugs on the first week of December 2019. 

In a press briefing on Monday morning, November 4, 2019, PDEA-7 Director Wardley Getalla told reporters that they are hoping to finish their inventory of the illegal drugs under their custody so they could proceed with the plan. 

Getalla said since the drugs had to be destructed through thermal decomposition, which costs a lot, they had to first finish the inventory so they can do it all at once.

“Kailangan talaga para practical. Pagsabay-sabay natin ang mga evidence,” said Getalla. 

(It has to be that way to be practical. We’ll do all the evidence at the same time.) 

It can be recalled that in October, Getalla was invited to speak in front of the Cebu City Council to explain why PDEA-7 has not destroyed the illegal drugs they have confiscated for the last two years.

Read: Lack of incinerator delays destruction of shabu now stored at PDEA-7 repository – Getalla

He gave the same reason, saying the process  is costly.

According to Getalla, this coming November 7, they were scheduled to meet with the Regional Trial Court to talk on how they would go about with the regular destruction of the drugs.

Getalla also explained why the destruction of shabu and marijuana are different.

He said, usually, marijuana plantations are in hinterland areas. He said it is not practical if they had to bring the illegal plant all the way to their office.

Getalla said that aside from the evidence needed for the case, the uprooted marijuana plants, under the law, are allowed to be destroyed immediately, even in the same place where they were uprooted, given the safety precaution that civilians are at least 50 meters away.

Getalla then added that the drugs they will be destroying this December will be those with the court order from RTC judges.

Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Valeriano de Leon, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, said that the police will be supporting the plan to destroy the illegal drugs to avoid the possibility of it being recycled. /bmjo

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A high-value target with P340K worth of illegal drugs is arrested by the Phillipine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) in an operation on Monday, November 11, 2019, along N. Bacalaso Avenue, Barangay Labangon, Cebu City. | photo courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A high-value target was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) in a buy-bust operation on Monday morning, November 11, 2019.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Lester Ablay, was arrested along N. Bacalso Avenue, Barangay Labangon in Cebu City when he handed a pack of suspected shabu to an undercover PDEA-7 agent.

According to Leia Alcantara, public information officer (PIO) of PDEA-7, they have put Ablay, of Barangay San Roque, Cebu City, under surveillance for more than a week after receiving information from a concerned citizen.

She said Ablay could dispose almost a kilo per week as he peddles the illegal drugs around Cebu City and other neighboring areas.

Confiscated from Ablay was at least 50 grams of suspected shabu, which has an estimated dangerous drugs board (DDB) value of P340,000.

Ablay is now detained in the PDEA-7 detention facility in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, where he will have to wait for the case for violating Section 5 of Article 2 of the Republic Act 9165 or the peddling of illegal drugs to be filed. /bmjo

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LAPU-LAPU City, Cebu—Three alleged drug dealers and one 14-year old cohort were nabbed by police in three separate drug operations here on Sunday evening, November 17, 2019.

Elements of the Mactan Police Station led by Police Major Narciso Abapo first nabbed Christopher Pejana, 44, a resident of Sitio Kawot in Barangay Mactan.

His alleged spotter, a 14-year old minor, was also rescued by the police.

According to the police, they saw the minor run and inform Pejana of their presence when they were about to make the arrest.

Taken from Pejana were four small packets of suspected shabu worth P1,088 and a 9mm revolver.

The second drug operation at past 8:00 p.m. was conducted at Sitio Bisa Barangay Mactan, which resulted to the arrest of Nailven Lozano, 34, residing at Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Pajac.

Police recovered from him 32 pieces of small packets of suspected shabu worth P8,704.00 based on Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value.

During a follow-up operation, Lozano’s brother-in-law, identified as Jofhel Cecilio, 31, resident of Kalubihan, was also arrested for selling shabu.

Police recovered from him 13 small sachets of suspected shabu worth P2,652.00 based on DDB value. / bmjo

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Thess Tiuzen, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas deputy regional director, (fifth from left) says the agency is going after high value targets during a forum in Cebu City on November 19. | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — With the drug lords no longer in Central Visayas, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) is now focusing on high value targets.

Thess Tiuzen, PDEA-7 deputy regiional director, said that most of the known drug lords operating in Central Visayas had already transferred location based on their monitoring and case buildup.

Tiuzen said that the active implementation of the programs in relation to the anti-illegal drugs advocacy and the intensified operations of the law enforcers, prompted these drug lords to flee Region 7.

“Because of the active law enforcement, gipangita sila (they were hunted down),” said Tiuzen.

She said that authorities in Region 7 were focusing on new drug syndicates and other high value targets.

According to data from PDEA-7, from January to October 2019, PDEA-7 and other law enforcement agencies in the region had arrested 458 people, who were considered as high value targets.

High value targets are those, who were caught with more than 50 grams of illegal drugs and they were also drug peddlers who could dispose of at least 50 grams of suspected shabu in a week, said Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson.

Alcantara said in a phone interview that public personalities, artists, even elected officials, government workers or even foreigners would be considered high value targets if they would be caught with illegal drugs regardless of the amount of illegal drugs confiscated.

She also said that drug den maintainers would also be classified under this category since they cater to groups of people, who use drugs and provide them with a specific area to buy and use them.

 Meanwhile, Tiuzen warned those drug lords, who managed to elude arrest in operations in Central Visayas, that eventually they would be arrested as government agencies were one in fighting illegal drugs in the country.

She also cited the relentless followup operations and investigations against these drug personalities./dbs

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A man identified by the police as Nortbert Castaño, was shot dead in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City at past 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2019. | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Was it love or drugs that cost a 34-year-old man his life?

These are the possible motives that police are investigating in the killing of Norbert “Tonton” Castaño, who died after he was shot in the head by a waiting gunman as he was leaving a house in Sitio Laray, Barangay Carreta, Cebu City at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

Police Staff Sergeant Francel Buling, Waterfront Police Station’s lead  investigator of the case, said that they had identified a suspect in the killing and a hot pursuit operation was also being conducted to apprehend him.

Buling refused to name the suspect because of the hot pursuit operation against him.

Buling said that they were checking if involvement in illegal drugs was the reason for the killing or a possible love triangle between the gunman, Castaño and his girlfriend could have been the reason Castaño got a bullet in the head.

He also said that the house that the victim was visiting in the area was allegedly a suspected drug den.

Witnesses told Buling that Castaño and his girlfriend were allegedly frequent visitors of the house, whom they allegedly identified as a “drug den.”

Some of the residents told police that that the suspect was allegedly involved in a “love triangle” with Castaño and the unnamed girl.

The father of Castaño, Tomas, said that he had known that his son was using drugs. 

He said the family attempted many times to put him through rehabilitation, but Castraño returned to using drugs repeatedly.

According to Tomas, Castaño also served time in jail for a few months after being caught with drug paraphernalia on February 2019, and he was recently released on August 2019. Aside from this, Tomas said that Castaño was also charged for robbery in the past years.

Tomas also told police that he suspected that his son was shot because of Castaño’s involvement in illegal drugs, and, possibly, jealousy by the suspect because of a romance-feud over Castaño’s girlfriend.

“Illegal nga droga og selos, mao guro gyod nay rason ngano gipusil akong anak. Maoy estorya dinhi. (Illegal drugs and jealousy were probably the cause of death of my son. That was what the residents here said),” said Tomas.

Buling said they were hoping for witnesses to help the police trace the suspect especially since he is reported to be a resident of Carreta./dbs

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Police check on the body of Erwin Vestil, who was shot dead in an alley in Sitio Riles, Barangay Hipodromo in Cebu City at past 6 p.m. of November 26. | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 42-year-old man was shot dead in an alley in Sitio Riles, Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City at past 6 p.m. today, November 26, 2019.

Erwin Vestil of Sitio Riles was found dead eight meters away from his house in Sitio Riles, said Police Staff Sergeant Roy Bacus of the Mabolo Police Station.

Vestil suffered three gunshot wounds in the arm, chest and back, which caused his death.

Bacus said that they were investigating if the killing was an illegal drugs-related crime, which would be a possible motive in the attack.

He said that they were pursuing this after Vestil’s father told them that his son allegedly used illegal drugs.

He said that Vestil was reported to have been arguing with an unidentified man in the alley before shots were fired.

Bacus said that residents could have seen the assailant, but no one had come forward to tell police about the shooting incident.

“Ang mga silingan man gud di pud mo sulti, hadlok pud siguro pud ba. Mosabot rapud ta nila kay basi pud sila pud punteryahon,” said Bacus.

(The neighbors refused to give their statements maybe because they’re afraid, which we also understand since they might also be the next target.)

For now, Bacus said that they were trying to get a copy of the footage of a closed circuit television (CCTV) near the area of the crime to help them in their investigation of the case. /dbs

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The fifth suspect involved in the killing of Junel Cabiluna whose body was buried in a vacant lot in Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, Cebu, is arrested in Dumanjug town, Cebu today, November 30, 2019. | Contributed Photo courtesy of Dumanjug Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The fifth suspect in the killing of Junel Cabiluna, whose body was found buried in a vacant lot on November 25, 2019 in Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, Cebu, has been arrested in Dumanjug town in southern Cebu.

Christopher Amion, 20, of Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, and the primary suspect of the gruesome murder of Cabiluna, was arrested at 12:30 p.m. of November 30.

Police Major Ardioleto Cabagnot, chief of Dumanjug Police Station, said that a concerned citizen called them around noon about an armed man and a new resident of Barangay Paculob in the town that looked suspicious.

“Kung makasugat kuno ipaubos ang kalo, moduko unya maglikay gyud,” said Cabagnot.

(The concerned citizen said that this person will covers his face with his ball cap whenever you meet him on the road, and he seemed to always avoid people.)

Cabagnot said they responded to the report and headed to the area to interview the person, but they were surprised to find out that he was the man whom the Talisay City police were looking for in their hot pursuit operation as one of the suspects of Cabiluna’s killing.

During the search of the house, Cabagnot said they also recovered an unlicensed .38 caliber revolver and 3 sachets of suspected shabu, with a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P2,000.

Amion, however, admitted to Cabagnot that the gun was allegedly owned by Cabiluna and was allegedly the one that he (Amion) used to kill the victim.

Cabagnot said that they were earlier informed by Talisay City police that Amion might be in town as they last heard he was in Barili and maybe planning to board a ferry to escape.

An information that was later confirmed as police later found ferry tickets for Cagayan de Oro City in the house where the suspect, his wife and two daughters stayed.

Cabagnot said that Amion and his wife bought a ticket at the Tangil Port in Tangil, Dumanjug heading to Cagayan De Oro City and from there they planned to head to Manila.

Read more: Talisay City police has person of interest in case of buried body found in Talisay City

The Dumanjug police chief also said that at first Amion denied committing any crime, but eventually he allegedly confessed to the killing of Cabiluna.

Amion told Cabagnot that he was forced to shoot Cabiluna after the latter allegedly threatened to kill him.

He said they were allegedly having a meeting and a drinking session in the afternoon of November 25 to talk about their alleged drug business.

Amion claimed that he asked that Cabiluna lend him some money, but when the latter refused, they started to argue.

He said that Cabiluna, who was allegedly armed with a gun tucked in the waistband of his pants then, ended up threatening him (Amion).

When he heard the threat and seeing that the Cabiluna’s gun was near his hand, he decided to grab Cabiluna’s gun and shoot Cabiluna first before Cabiluna could make good his threat against him (Amion).

He also claimed that he took P1,000 from Cabiluna’s pockets and fled, leaving his four cohorts behind, who were tasked to bury the body of Cabiluna.

Read more: Pelare: Buried body in Talisay identified; 4 ‘gun-for-hire’ suspects nabbed

Amion’s alleged cohorts Javier Jason Cabier, 30; Arwin Calinawan, 27; Rommel Bacacao, 27; and Gener Bacus, 28, arrested last November 29 during a hot pursuit operation on November 29.

They claimed then that Cabiluna was killed because he refused to allegedly provide them with a free supply of illegal drugs.

On the claims of Police Major Gerard Pelare, Talisay City Police Station chief, that the suspects were allegedly members of a gun-for-hire group, Amion denied this allegation.

He admitted to Cabagnot that what he and the others allegedly had were their being involved in the illegal drug business.

Amion will be facing a case of illegal possession of firearms and possession of illegal drugs that will be filed by the Dumanjug police while the Talisay City police will file robbery with homicide charges against him.

Amion was detained at Dumanjug police station detention cell pending the filing of the charges./dbs

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The suspects who were nabbed in a drug bust in Mandaue City wait for police to finish the paper works after they were arrested on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Norman V. Mendoza

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—A couple and a woman neighbor were nabbed by police in a drug buy-bust operation past 10 p.m. Wednesday, December 4, 2019, in Barangay Tawason, here.

Arrested were Garry Inoc, 35, a resident of Bato Ermita, Cebu city, his live-in partner Quinei Griño, 34, and a neighbor identified as Anita Borbajo, 34, resident of Barangay Tawason.

Police Major Hugo Rio Ipong, Station Commander of the Canduman Police Station, said they transacted with Inoc after learning of his illegal drug activity a week ago.

Recovered from Inoc were 19 small packets of suspected shabu worth P3,800 and a .38 revolver with three live ammunition.

Griño and Borbajo, who were with Inoc inside his rented room, were also found with small packets of suspected shabu each.

Inoc will be charged with selling of illegal drugs and illegal possession of a firearm, while Griño and Borbajo will be charged with possession of illegal drugs.

The suspects are currently detained at the Canduman Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges. /bmjo

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Cebu City Legal Officer Lawyer Rey Gealon. | CDN Digital file

CEBU CITY — Eight more  job order (JO) and casual workers at the Cebu City Hall stands to lose their jobs.

Lawyer Rey Gealon, head of the Cebu City Legal Office (CLO), said their office had recommended to Mayor Edgardo Labella the termination of another batch of eight employees who tested positive for illegal drugs.

“Due process has been served upon each of the respondents. Two of them admitted to using drugs,” Gealon said.

Read more: Rama: JOs, who tested positive for drug use, will be returned to DSWS

The eight recommended for termination included a casual worker at the mayor’s office and the  two job order workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Services detailed to the office of Vice Mayor Michael Rama.

Read more: Labella concerned with number of city hall employees who tested positive in drug test   

Those recommended included JO worker of the city asssesor’s office and casual employees at the Peace and Order Program office, the Department of Public Services and Office of the Civil Registrar.

“They cannot be allowed to continue employment in City Hall which is suppose to be a drug-free environment as envisioned by the Mayor when he principally authored the “Drug Test Ordinance” way back in 2004,” Gealon said.

“Notwithstanding the absence of confirmatory test results, it is our considered view that the City Government may, at any time, terminate the services job order and casual employees since they do not enjoy security of tenure as their employment is governed by the term of their appointment or contracts,” according to the CLO recommendation./dbs

The post Cebu City Legal Office to Mayor Labella: Terminate 8 workers, who tested positive for drug use appeared first on Cebu Daily News.

Ronald Malgar, 28, of Tabunok, Talisay City (sitting)  is arrested by the police along Zuellig Avenue in Mandaue City. CDN Digital photo | Norman Mendoza

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—Two separate drug operation by the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) and City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Mandaue City Police Office yielded a total of P7,922,000 worth of suspected illegal drugs late Wednesday evening, December 18, 2019. 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf Oriol, chief of the CIB, told CDN Digital that they conducted a follow-up buy bust drug operation in Mambaling, Cebu City that resulted to the arrest of Emy Luna Maitim.

Recovered from Maitim was 700 grams of suspected shabu (crystal meth) worth P4,760,000 based on the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value.

Another operation was conducted along Zuellig Avenue in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City shortly after that led to the arrest of  Ronald Malgar, 28, from Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City.

This operation was also a follow-up to an arrest made on three suspects from Barangay Casili, Mandaue City also on Wednesday evening.

Recovered from Malgar was 465 grams of suspected shabu worth P3,162,000 based on DDB value.

According to Oriol, the arrested suspects had been in the police drug watchlist in their respective areas.

Malgar will be filed with appropriate charges in Mandaue while Maitim who is detained at Mambaling Police Station will be chatged in Cebu City.

The confiscated illegal drugs were immediately submitted to PNP Crime Laboratory for examination and custody. /bmjo

The post Close to P8 million worth of illegal drugs confiscated in Mandaue City appeared first on Cebu Daily News.

Policemen inventory the P3.4 million worth of suspected shabu in front of the three men, who were caught with the illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City on Monday, December 30, 2019.  | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There may be a bigger supply of illegal drugs in Cebu City, which were shipped from Manila in time for Christmas and the New Year celebration.

Police Colonel Glenn Mayam, Philippine Drug Enforcement Group in Central Visayas (PDEG-7) chief, said that this was what they were suspecting after they confiscated at least 500 grams of suspected shabu from three men, one of whom was a high value target in their watchlist. 

Mayam was referring to the buy-bust operation at past 4 p.m. on Monday, December 30, in Sitio Mayupay, Barangay Quiot, Cebu City, where they confiscated the 500 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P3.4 million.

This was the second buy-bust operation in Cebu City in three days that police confiscated at least P3 million worth of illegal drugs.

Read more: Man caught with P3.2 million worth of suspected shabu in Bulacao bust

Last Saturday, December 28, Pardo police conducted a buy-bust operation in Pardo and arrested Martin Abellana, 26, who was caught with 475 grams of suspected shabu, which have a DDB value of P3.2 million.

Mayam said that with this amount of drugs confiscated he believed that drug personalities from Manila had managed to sneak in a shipment of shabu in Cebu.

“Ang problema nato kuwang tag gamit pareho anang mga sniffing dogs unya daghan ta og ports. Unya open ang Cebu so dili makaya sa mga other law enforcement agencies nga icover tanan so naay mga ports nga walay sniffing dogs,” said Mayam.

(Our problem is our lack of drug detecting equipment or animals such as drug sniffing dogs and Cebu has a lot of ports. Cebu is also an open area which makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to cover all ports and there are ports that have no drug sniffing dogs.)

He said that this might be how drug personalities shipped their illegal drugs to Cebu despite the tight security that law enforcement agencies implement in Cebu’s ports.

But Mayam said that they would continue to intensify their operations despite these challenge.

He said that the police force would have to be more alert about illegal drug activities and coordinate with the community to pinpoint and arrest drug personalities in these areas.

He cited as their latest buy-bust operation in Quiot as an example of their intensified operation.

In the Quiot drug bust, the PDEG-7 policemen arrested Allan Navaro Dacuma, 32, of Sitio Soran, Barangay Quiot, together with Arnel Cabeluna Thomas, 32, also from the area and Mike Guardierio Rabadon, 26, from Barangay Punta Prinsesa.

He said that they had placed Dacuma under surveillance for a month after they received reports of Dacuma’s illegal activities.

Dacuma and the two other suspects were detained at the Pardo Police Station detention cell pending the filing of possession and selling of illegal drugs charges./dbs

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