Police raid yields P4M drugs, guns

No arrest; snitch eyed

CEBU, Philippines- At least P4 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated by the police after a raid on 12 houses inside the compound of an alleged notorious drug lord in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City yesterday dawn.

Cebu City Police Office Criminal Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander, however, was disappointed because it appeared someone from their operating team leaked the operation, as the compound was already abandoned when they arrived.

He said they will conduct an in-house investigation starting from when they applied the search warrant until they implemented it, as he believed they could have seized more illegal drugs and made several arrests if no one alerted alleged druglord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz and his relatives when the police raided the compound.

Santander said that if ever they find out a police operative have really betrayed their team, the said officer would face appropriate sanctions and could even be dismissed from service.

Armed with search warrants issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras, CIB, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7, Special Weapons and Tactics in the Cebu City Police Office, Regional Public Safety Battalion-7 and Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk operatives launched the operation against Diaz and his relatives around 4:30 a.m.

Aside from Jaguar, Noel, Reynaldo, Rodel, Ruddy, Rodrigo, Amelia, all surnamed Diaz, and Scarlet Pag-usara and Sonny Sisneros were also targets of the operation.

Santander said he was disappointed knowing that the surveillance and monitoring of Jaguar’s and his relatives’ activities lasted three months as per directive by  Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas, Police Regional Office-7 director.

Santander said, though, that the compound seemed abandoned when they served the warrants.

They just seized eight large and 28 medium packs of suspected shabu from the 12 houses. All illegal drugs confiscated weighed at least 340 grams with a value of P4,012,000 per Dangerous Drugs Board valuation.

The operation against Jaguar came hours after suspected drug pusher Lemuel Tayapan was arrested by policemen inside Buot Compound, Barangay Tuburan, Danao City Saturday night by Regional Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Group operatives.

The police said Tayapan’s arrest came just a month after he posted bail for the same offense.

During the 6:20 p.m. buy-bust operation, Tayapan, considered as a level two drug pusher who can dispose  200 grams of illegal drugs each week, yielded five medium-size packs of suspected shabu weighing 30 grams and worth to P354,000.

The suspect was arrested after handing a medium pack of suspected shabu in exchange for P8,000 as payment.

RAIDSOTG-7’s Senior Inspector Joey Bicoy told reporters that Tayapan was placed under surveillance for two weeks after they received report that he resumed his illegal drug trade activities.

Police were also able to seize weighing scale, money counting machine, .22 pistol, .38 revolver, and assorted ammunitions.

Around four hours later, four people, including two siblings, were caught in the act of selling shabu past 10 p.m. Saturday in Sitio Tunga, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City.

The suspects yielded a total of 50 small packs and a medium pack of suspected shabu weighing 14.5 grams that authorities say would fetch P171,100 if sold.

Danilo Balingit, 26; Erwin Serrano, 49; Rowena Dabasol, 28; and her brother Jay Dabasol, 25, are currently detained at the Talisay City Police Station pending the filing of criminal charges against them.

Police Officer 3 Junyl Ater, Talisay City Police Station desk officer, said a concerned citizen called the station past 10 p.m. on the “rampant” selling of illegal drugs in Sitio Tunga.

Found in Balingit’s possession were 20 small packs and a medium pack of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and 10 small packs of suspected shabu each from Serrano, Rowena, and Jay.  —/RHM (FREEMAN)