381 druggies surrender, 14 nabbed in Cordillera

 2 San Fernando pushers killed; another slain in Dagupan 

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Police intensified anti-illegal drugs drive in north Luzon with more users and pushers who surrendered, arrested or killed by lawmen last week.

In Cordillera, the Police Regional Office reported the surrender of 381 drug personalities and arrest of 14 others. 

Chief Supt. Elmo Sarona, who assumed as acting regional police director Monday, cited his men for their accomplishments.

Sarona was based in Manila before he was reassigned in Cordillera,.

During his first day in office Monday, a total of 85 drug users and cultivators surrendered here at the regional police office with others giving themselves up or nabbed during the week. 

The PRO information office in a report said in Mt. Province, eight drug users of which four were top drug personalities in the municipality of Bauko surrendered themselves to town police with assistance of barangay officials while another four drug users turned in themselves to Bontoc police

In Benguet, 77 marijuana cultivators and drug users of which 60 identified marijuana cultivators from barangays Badeo and Tacadang, Kibungan surrendered to Kibungan police while seven drug users  submitted themselves to personnel of La Trinidad police.

In the municipality of Mankayan, seven drug users accompanied by their relatives and some barangay officials surrendered to cops while two from Itogon and one from Tuba also surrendered to police of their respective towns. 

Surrenderees vowed to stop their involvement in the illegal drug trade, use and cultivation by signing a covenant as sign of their seriousness.

They were profiled and were set to take drug tests. They will be  monitored and arrested if they will repeat their illegal activities. 

Four drug personalities were arrested during service of warrants and buy-bust operations conducted by Cordillera police in July 1.

A certain Oliver Padiw Tay-ew, 26, alleged marijuana cultivator, of Tacadang, Kibungan, was arrested in Tamog-o, Poblacion, Kibungan after Danilo P. Camacho, presiding Judge of RTC Br. 62, La Trinidad, issued warrant for his arrest with no bail recommended.

In Ifugao, a certain Dennis Padilan Bulahao, 46, security guard and alleged drug pusher in Lagawe was arrested in his residence. Seized from his possession were sachet containing suspected “shabu and and marked money worth P500.

In Baguio two Maranao sunglass vendors were arrested in buy-bust operations. Banned were Ombao Tiboron Sultan, 57, of 177 Happy Homes Ferdinand Barangay, and Alimodin Mangompiya Langco, 39, of No. 112 Happy Homes Ferdinand Barangay.

Seized from Sultan were marked money of P500, drug paraphernalia, two handguns and bullets Seized from Langco were shabu weighing 3.52 grams; buy-bust money of P500, drug paraphernalia, two cellphones  and seven bullets.

Around 40 persons earlier submitted themselves to Mankayan, Benguet police, while five submitted themselves to Bauko, Mountain police.

Fourteen individuals surrendered to Benguet police last week.

All surrenderees were accompanied by their families, relatives and barangay officials during drug tests to determine their addiction and if they needed to be referred to rehabilitation centers.

They were released after their profiling, documentation, and signing of undertakings.

In  Kalinga, one of the province’s most wanted drug personalities, identified as George Paga Malgapo was arrested in a police checkpoint along the Alinanag-Paracelis intersection at around 1:10 a.m. last July 3.

Kalinga couple busted

In Kalinga, the No. 7 most wanted drug personality in the province and her cohort finally fell into the hands of PDEA operatives last June 29.

PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña, identified the suspect as Ana Mae Barroga, alias “Gimbet,” 30; and Brian dela Cruz, alias “Ivan,” 31, both residents of Wagud, Pinukpuk, Kalinga.

In Abra, newly-installed Police Regional Office-Cordillera Director Elmo Sarona ordered the relief of Abra PPO director, Sr. Supt. Antonio Bartolome, and Sr. Insp. Eddie Bagto, chief of the Bangued Municipal Police Station.

Sarona said Bartolome and Bagto were relieved of their posts for their failure to arrest a series of shooting incidents since President Duterte took office as well address the illegal drugs problem in the province.

Bartolome has been replaced by Supt. Mark Pespes, who has already been installed at Camp Juan Villamor in Bangued, while Bagto was replaced by Chief Insp. John Cayat as chief of police of the capital town.

Top drug suspect shot dead

In Paoay, Ilcos Norte, the top drug suspect was gunned down night of June 29.

Raymund Weil Pobre, alias Tonton, 35, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.

Pobre was standing in front of his house when an unidentified man who arrived in a black sedan shot him, said Chief Insp. Dexter Corpuz, Ilocos Norte police spokesman.

Seven bullet shells for an M16 rifle were recovered at the scene.

Corpuz said Pobre was ranked eighth on the list of drug personalities in Ilocos Norte.

In Bulacan, the top drug suspect was arrested also June 29 after his wife reported his illegal activities.

Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat, acting Bulacan police chief, said Rico Manzano was collared in an entrapment operation.

Two sachets of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia were recovered from the suspect. 

400 surrender in La Union

In La Union, around 400 residents of La Union – many of them from Bangar town – submitted themselves to authorities to admit involvement in illegal drug activities and sign a covenant with the government to seek rehabilitation.

A total of 140 individuals from Bangar surrendered to authorities Tuesday for fear of being entrapped by police amid President Duterte’s all-out war on illegal drugs.

Mayor George Pinzon of Bangar and police officials led by La Union police director Senior Superintendent Angelito Dumangeng confronted those who surrendered in the town and made them promise to reform and live a normal life away from the trouble of illegal drugs.

Dumangeng said over 200 more residents involved in the drug trade in other parts of La Union have surrendered since last July 1.

Dagupan ‘drug pusher’ killed

In Dagupan City, another drug pusher was killed during a buy -bust operation along Tebeng Road Tuesday evening.

Last Monday morning two top Pangasinan drug suspects were killed in an encounter with authorities who conducted a drug sting at Green Bee Cottage, Bonuan Tondaligan.

Supt. Christopher Abrahano, Dagupan City chief of police, identified the target of buy-bust operation as Oscar Abella, a drug personality in the police watchlist.

Abrahano said that at around 10:30 pm last July 5, 2016 at Tebeng Road, a poseur-buyer was able to transact with Abella and another suspect on board a motorcycle.

        After the transaction, suspect immediately pulled out a firearm and fired at the supposed buyer, who managed to return fire and neutralized Abella.

        Abella’s cohort,who was driving the motorcycle fled.

        Police officers on mobile patrol pursued the fleeing suspect who made good his escape and fired at the police patrol vehicle
.

180 kg shabu confiscated by Ilocos Norte, Cagayan cops

Meanwhile, a total of 180 kilos methamphetamine or "shabu" was dug up and recovered by Ilocos and Cagayan police at an abandoned farm in Barangay Culao, Claveria, Cagayan July 3. 

Senior Supt. Jose M. Nartates, Ilocos Norte provincial director, said their participation in the drug bust was to ensure the illegal drugs would be confiscated since part of these would be brought and sold in Ilocos Norte. 

He said in Ilocos Norte, shabu was decreasing while arrests were increasing, showing that pushers were beginning to face difficulties distributing the narcotics.

Nartatez said information which led to the 180 kilos methamphetamine or "shabu" drug bust came from the community and was collated by the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG).

Following this, the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office tapped the Cagayan Police Provincial Office for joint operation done last July 3 in Barangay Culao. Intensifying police efforts against illegal drugs and other crimes has been a priority for Gov. Imee R. Marcos who stated in her 2015 State of the Province Address who urged the the military and the police to reduce illegal firearms and to end motorcycle shootings.

 Last month, two Ilocano drug personalities were gunned down in Paoay and Bangui: Raymund Weil Pobre, number eight on the provincial watch list, and Rolando Garvida, number six. The cases occurred within less than a week of each other.

He said a tally of 180 personalities rounded up from January to June 2016 compared to an average of less than a hundred within the same period in previous years.

The Ilocos police is conducting mandatory drug testing among all police personnel.

He said many pushers and users in the province have already lined up to surrender, though many are reluctant because of their pronouncement that those who surrender must reveal the source of their illegal drug supply.

Recently, two top drug personalities were gunned down first in Paoay, and then in Bangui town of Ilocos Norte.

In City of San Fernando, Pampanga, two notorious drug pushers were killed, while a police officer was

wounded in a shootout during anti-illegal drugs raid Monday.

Operatives of the City of San Fernando Police Station led by Supt. Jean Fajardo were serving a warrant issued by a local judge in Barangay Calulut, here, against Jaime Untad, alias “Bob,” when the suspect allegedly grabbed Fajardo’s firearm.

During the scuffle, Fajardo’s gun went off, hitting him in the right arm and prompting his men to shoot Untad to death.

Meanwhile, Untad’s cohort, Mulong Biliwang, was accidentally shot in the crossfire.

The two slain suspects had yielded a loaded .38-caliber revolver, an MK2 grenade, and five plastic sachets of shabu prior to their arrest.

Random drug tests

In Camp Olivas, City of San Fernando. top police officials were subjected to a surprise drug testing at the PRO3 Multi- Purpose Hall in line with directives of PNP Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino said a total of 226 Central Luzon police officials underwent drug tests.

Meanwhile, a total of 142 drug users — some of them admitting to be small-time “shabu” pushers —have submitted themselves to the Ilagan City Police Office, under Supt. Manuel Bringas.

Bringas said he and his men employed “Oplan: Tuktok Hangyo” – a campaign pushed by new Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa whereby they knocked on the doors of known drug personalities and urged them to change their ways.

The youngest, Bringas said, was a 15-year-old boy.

In Pangasinan, there were at least 218 people who surrendered to authorities in Dagupan City and Sta. Barbara.

Seven drug personalities included in the local drug watch list voluntarily submitted themselves to the Sta. Barbara MPS through the assistance of barangay and municipal officials.

         In Dagupan City, at least 200 residents of Bonuan Gueset – listed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as the 3rd most drug-influenced village in Pangasinan – surrendered to authorities, listed their names and signed a covenant to reform themselves. -- -- With reports from Erwin G. Beleo, Mar T. Supna,Mizpah Grace G. Castro, Raymund Catindig, Ramon Efren Lazaro and Jerry J. Alcayde