By Jennifer P. Rendon
A former policeman and his alleged cohort added to the growing number of persons arrested for illegal drugs in the region.
Ex-policeman Joel Destacamento, 55, a resident of Barangay Veterans Village, Iloilo City and Francisco Tañedo, 57, of Block 16 Barangay Housing, Mandurriao, Iloilo City were nabbed Sunday at Barangay San Pedro, Molo district.
Joint elements of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 and Iloilo City Police Station 4, in coordination with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), arrested the duo after selling a sachet of suspected shabu for P17,200.
Recovered from their possession was another sachet of suspected shabu with a street value of P30,000.
Police reports said that Destacamento was listed as a high value individual in the PNP watchlist of suspected drug peddlers.
According to records, his last assignment was with the Iloilo Provincial Police Office as a desk officer.
Tañedo is considered as a street level individual.
The two suspects are now detained at the lock-up cell of Molo Police Station and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
Suspected illegal drugs worth P372,000 were seized and three persons were nabbed in two separate drug busts in the city and province of Iloilo also on Sunday evening.
Joseph Atanacio, 36, and Jun Magno, 33, both of Barangay San Isidro La Paz, Iloilo City were collared 6 pm in the said village.
Members of the Police Regional Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (PRDEU-6) and La Paz Police Station arrested the two suspects after they sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P17,200 to a police undercover agent.
When frisked, the suspects yielded two additional plastic sachets of suspected shabu weighing 25 grams with an estimated DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) value of P200,000, the P17,200 marked money, and another P1,000 cash.
Meanwhile, Jessi Gasis, 58, of Barangay Lawigan, San Joaquin, Iloilo, was nabbed three hours later at Barangay Ubos Ilawod, Miagao town.
Miagao police operatives recovered from the suspect three sachets of suspected shabu worth P172,000.
They also seized a P500 marked bill and P17,000 boodle or fake money used in the sting operation.
Captain Joevito Bose, Miag-ao police chief, said Gasis is a newly identified drug suspect.
“He could be a member of a drug group operating in the area,” Bose said but he declined to elaborate.
Gasis claimed that his source was from Caloocan City.
The suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
