• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A series of police anti-drug operations police operations in Negros Occidental, including highly urbanized Bacolod City on March 14 and 15, led to the recovery of P1,945,560 worth of suspected shabu, assorted firearms, and the arrest of 21 suspects, one of whom was injured in an armed confrontation with authorities.
While implementing a search warrant on Saturday for violation of RA 9165 and RA 10591 at Spur 14 in Barangay Bunga, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, an armed encounter broke out between a 35-year-old suspect and policemen, composed of the town police and troopers of the 1st Negros Occidental Police Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Alias Ricky, who was reported to have traded shots with the police, was injured in the gun battle. He was arrested and immediately brought by his captors to a medical facility for treatment to his injuries.
Recovered by the police were about 45 grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P306,000, a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition, a fired cartridge, and assorted shabu paraphernalia, including a weighing scale.
Three other suspects identified only as Kurt, Jheezer, and a student named Renan, all residents of the same barangay, were also arrested by the police in the same area for violation of RA 9165.
Seized from their respective possessions were an estimated three grams of suspected shabu valued at P20,400, according to the Don Salvador Benedicto police.
Three other suspects, including a market vendor and a laborer, were arrested by the police also on March 15 in cities of Cadiz, Sagay, and Silay, Negros Occidental, yielding two caliber .38 revolvers with six ammunition and a 9mm revolver with four ammunition.
The apprehension of a 54-year-old tricycle driver in Ilog on March 14, also led to the seizure of a Smith and Wesson caliber .22 revolver with three ammunition and 1.2 grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P8,160.
On the other hand, the series of police anti-drug operations in barangays Tangub and Singcang Airport in Bacolod City on Friday led to the apprehension of five drug suspects and the recovery of 187 grams of suspected shabu valued at P1,271,600.
The apprehension of eight other drug suspects in cities of San Carlos, Silay, Talisay, Bago, and Himamaylan, as well as the municipalities of Manapla and Pontevedra, all in Negros Occidental, also led to the seizure of more or less 50 grams of suspected shabu valued at P340,000.*
