Tipsters get P50K for lead on Kidapawan drug dens

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) — The city government has awarded tipsters P50,000 cash for helping lawmen dismantle ten local drug dens protected by big syndicates last week, Mayor Joseph Evangelista said Monday.

Evangelista, chair of the city peace and order council, said the amount was released before weekend to the informant, who led policemen to the drug distribution spots and helped identify their operators.

Evangelista said credit also has to go the new police director of North Cotabato, Senior Superintendent Alex Tagum, and his subordinate, Superintendent Franklin Anito, chief of the Kidapawan City police, for acting promptly on the information volunteered by the informant.

Evangelista declined to identify the informants, whom he called "patriotic" Kidapawan City residents.

"It was an example of vigilance and volunteerism worth emulating," the mayor said.

Tagum, who assumed as North Cotabato police director only about two weeks ago, said nine drug traffickers were arrested in their anti-narcotics operations last week.

Five of the suspects, Abie Sultan, Randy Villagonzalo, Rodel Malasan, Urhidin Omar Dumacon and a certain Jocelyn, were involved in large-scale distribution in the city of methamphetamine hydrochloride, most known as shabu.

Tagum said the suspects also supplied shabu to peddlers in nearby towns in North Cotabato and in Davao del Sur.

Evangelista, citing a report from Tagum and Anito, said policemen dismantled ten drug dens in last week's anti-shabu operations.

The raiding teams, armed with warrants issued by Judge Sadiri Balagot of the Regional Trial Court Branch 23 in Kidapawan City, also recovered two live fragmentation grenades from one of the houses they raided.

Evangelista said he is ready to shell out rewards to informants who can help the police arrest drug dealers in the city.

Kidapawan City is the capital of North Cotabato, which also covers 17 towns scattered in three congressional districts.