Punta chief: Cop's threats came from the drug lords

The Punta Princesa police chief has ruled out the possible involvement of a policeman behind the death threat received by one of his policemen last Monday.

Chief Inspector Doroteo Mantos said the threat was not from a fellow policeman contrary to what PO3 Allan Batobalonos suspected.

Mantos said based on his investigation, he found out that the threat was from personalities believed involved in illegal drugs in A. Lopez Street, barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

"Sa akong imbestigasyon, wala man mo-exist ning maong polis, ang akong duda gikan ra ni didto sa ila, nangasuko naman ni sila kay gisegihan man nato og ronda," Mantos said, referring to "drug lords".

Batobalonos earlier told The FREEMAN that last Monday at 2:15 p.m., he received a call from a man who reportedly threatened to kill him before the end of the month if he will not stop conducting drug operations in A. Lopez Street.

Batobalonos added that the threat might have been from a PO1 who reportedly asked him a few months ago to release drug suspects he arrested in A. Lopez.

Despite the threat, Batobalonos conducted another raid and arrested Warlito "Ewar" Baldesamo, 32, in A. Lopez after he allegedly sold a pack of shabu to Batobalonos' poseur-buyer. Police also reported confiscating three more packs of suspected shabu from him after they searched him.

Warlito is the younger brother of the 7th most wanted drug personality in the city police watchlist, Vevincio Baldesamo, who was shot and injured by Pardo policemen after he tried to shoot field trainee PO1 Benjie Gan with a .45 cal. pistol last June.

Mantos has also ordered his men to conduct more operations against drug personalities in A. Lopez to show that the police are not shaken by threats.

"Kay kung dili ta mag-agresibo mosamot hinuon ang ilang paghudlat-hudlat diri nato, mas maayong sigehan nato sila og ronda," Mantos said.

Last Wednesday, Cebu City Police Office acting director Melvin Gayotin ordered the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch to look into the complaint of Batobalonos saying that threats from one policeman to another is a serious offense, especially if it involves illegal drugs. - Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP