Police arrested three suspects and seized suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, three firearms with live rounds and a hand grenade during separate anti-illegal drugs operations in Guihulngan City and Valencia town in Negros Oriental late Monday.
The police operations continue without let-up in Negros Oriental to go after personalities in the target and watch lists of suspected drug pushers and users in line with the directive of chief Supt. Prudencio Tom Bañas, regional director of the Philippine National Police in Region 7.
Arrested in three separate anti-illegal drugs operations were Roy Calvo Soreño, and a resident of Barangay Calamba, Guihulngan City; Sherwin Uy Tirambulo, from Barangay Cadre, also in Guihulngan City; and Roland Calumen, 37, of Purok 3, Barangay Mampas in Valencia town.
In Guihulngan City, Soreño was first arrested in a joint operation by the PNP’s Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group headed by Insp. Ryan Jay Orapa and the Guihulngan City police headed by Sr. Insp. Benidick Poblete, in coordination with the local office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency during a buy-bust operation around 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Soreño allegedly sold suspected shabu to an undercover agent that resulted in his subsequent arrest, Sr. Insp Poblete told reporters on Tuesday.
Confiscated from Soreño were two transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu worth an estimated P5,000 based on the Dangerous Drugs Board value, a P500 marked bill used in the transaction, one caliber .45 pistol and one magazine for a caliber .45 pistol with four rounds of live ammunition.
Shortly thereafter, the same joint team of operatives swooped down on another suspect, Sherwin Uy Tirambulo, around 7:35 p.m. Monday in another drug buy-bust operation at which the latter allegedly sold suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer.
The police operatives seized from Tirambulo seven heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets with suspected shabu granules worth an estimated P30,000 based on the DDB value, a P500 marked bill and bogus money, one caliber .25 Llama pistol, one hand grenade, one magazine of caliber .25 pistol with two live rounds of ammunition, one caliber .38 revolver with two live rounds, and a holster.
Sr. Supt. Mariano Natuel, Jr. on Tuesday disclosed the two suspects are considered Level 3 “drug pushers” that can dispose of 200 grams of shabu or less per week.
Also, according to Sr. Insp. Poblete, Sherwin Tirambulo alias Ilong is the number one alleged drug pusher in Guihulngan City.
Meanwhile, over in Valencia town, local town police arrested Roland Calumen around 5:50 p.m. Monday by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Gerardo Paguio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 40, dated July 14, 2014.
Police operatives led by Valencia police chief Wilfredo Viloria recovered during the search at the suspect’s house in Barangay Mampas, Valencia, three pieces of transparent plastic sachet containing “shabu”, a digital weighing scale, three disposable lighters, a cellphone and several plastic sachets.
Calumen told reporters on Tuesday he was not selling shabu but was merely a user.
Meanwhile, Sr. Supt. Natuel disclosed that police chiefs in the towns and cities in Negros Oriental are under strict instructions to undertake anti-illegal drugs operations.
In the event that a police chief is found to be not obeying the directive and has not reported any positive accomplishment, he could be facing relief from his current position, Natuel added. (PNA)
