Police nabs drug suspects in Kalibo drug raid

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Four drug suspects were arrested by anti-narcotics units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in an early Sunday morning drug raid operation in Kalibo, Aklan.

The suspects were having a pot session inside a boarding house when the raiding team swooped down at around 3 a.m. in Villa Salvacion in Barangay Andagao here, said Inspector Wilfredo Holifena, chief of Aklan Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (PAIDSOTG).

Collared at a suspected drug den by joint elements of PAIDSOTG, Kalibo police station led by Chief Inspector Pedro Enriquez and Aklan Provincial Mobile Company were 28-year old Jomer Hablero of Dumarao, Capiz and 18-year old Quennie Panares, live-in partner of Hablero.

Also arrested  were 37-year old Mike Hilario of Goding Ramos Street, Barangay Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan and 23-year old Regie Nabor of Barangay Estancia, Kalibo, Aklan.

The drug raid was a follow-up operation after a buy-bust operation in a funeral wake in Barangay Tigayon in Kalibo, Aklan at around 1 a.m.

Police arrested Regie Rose, 27, married, of Barangay Cogon, Lezo, Aklan after he handed to a poseur-buyer a sachet of suspected shabu.

Also recovered from Rose were additional 12 sachets of suspected shabu, marked money amounting to P1,000 and mobile phone containing text messages of illegal drug transactions.

Two hours later, the police operatives proceeded to the boarding house in Barangay Andagao. 

Recovered from Hablero were a sachet of suspected shabu and several pieces of empty plastic sachets while police seized a sachet of suspected shabu from Panares.

Seized from Hilario  were dried marijuana leaves and a sachet of suspected shabu.

Also recovered were aluminum foil with suspected shabu, aluminum totter, disposable lighter and a roll of aluminum roll.

SPO4 Babylyn Daylusan, investigator of Kalibo Women’s and Children Welfare desk, said 17 young persons including a 12-year old minor were also sleeping in an adjacent area of the boarding house during the drug raid.

Police said they were invited in Kalibo police station for questioning with the Kalibo social welfare worker. 

Before they were released by the police, they undergo drug testing at the Aklan provincial hospital.

Daylusan clarified that they were members of a dance group from Boracay Island who joined a dance contest in Kalibo last Saturday evening. They stayed in their friend's boarding house and planned to go home early Sunday morning to Boracay Island at around 4 a.m.

“They were at a wrong place at a wrong time. They denied their participation in the illegal drug activities,” the police said.  

The drug suspects were detained at Kalibo lock-up cell pending filing of charges for violations of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs  Act of 2002.