In Bohol raids found drug-cleared baragays infested with illegal drugs again

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines —  A few days after the PDEA declared some barangays in several towns of Bohol as drug-free, the police conducted raids, arrests, and seizures and found these areas are infested with illegal drugs again.

Last week, the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) launched simultaneous “One Time Big Time” strikes, also dubbed as Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO), all over the province and these resulted in arrests and confiscations of drugs and firearms in some barangays that were earlier declared as drug-free.

Barangay Tinago of Dauis town in Bohol was one of those barangays declared as drug-free. But it was here where the police said they arrested suspected drug peddler Julius Tajadlangit, 34, and his live-in partner — both residing in that village.

This raid on August 16, under the One Time Big Time operation, yielded several packs of shabu, firearms, grenade, and ammunition.

Tajadlangit is reportedly the brother of “drug pusher” Sergio Tajadlangit, who was earlier apprehended as a cohort of the late Senior Police Officer 1 Adonis Dumpit. He escaped but was arrested again by the Tagbilaran City Police.

There were other barangays that fall on the same status, but BPPO is still verifying and assessing these areas.

When asked during a press conference on what would happen to these drug-cleared barangays where the new arrests and seizure of drugs took place, BPPO Director Senior Superintendent Angeles Genorga replied that they are investigating and would carry out within the one-month grace period for the operation.

After that period, the oversight body will validate and study the situation. If found these drug-free barangays to be no longer drug-free, such clean tag will be stripped, according to a police officer.

The One Time Big Time operation yielded 259 sachets or 150.69 grams of shabu, worth P1,621,020 based on the valuation of the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Two suspects, who were declared dead on arrival at the hospitals, were identified as Eddie Vano, a resident of Barangay Bicao in Carmen town and Joel Vergara Olalo, a resident of Anda town, Genorga told the media.

A total of 55 suspects, both in illegal drugs and firearms possession, were arrested and 28 firearms confiscated while four surrendered as a result of the operations, he said.

Police said 23 out of 37 search and arrest warrants issued by the courts were for anti-illegal drugs. A total of 560 policemen and other law enforcement operatives — 488 from BPPO and 72 from other units — carried out the operations.