By Jennifer P. Rendon
Back in jail.
Two persons who were arrested and incarcerated for a drug-related offense were arrested again in an anti-narcotics operation afternoon of June 12, 2021 in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU) nabbed Steve Arroyo, 46, a resident of Barangay Bolilao where the operation happened; and Edgar Peralta, 63, of Barangay San Antonio, Molo.
Their companion, a certain Berto Amit Jr., escaped.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Darroca, RPDEU chief, said Amit may have taken with him around 2 kilos of shabu or crystal meth.
At the current rate, 2 kilos of the said drug is valued at P13 million, based on estimates by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Around 70 grams of suspected crystal meth, with an estimated value of P476,000, were seized from Peralta and Arroyo.
Arroyo was the one who sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P15,000 to an undercover operative.
When frisked, Arroyo yielded another sachet of the same substance shabu that was wrapped in a piece of paper hidden in his pocket. More sachets were found stuffed inside his sling bag, along with the marked money.
Another sachet was also taken from Peralta’s possession.
Darroca said they conducted months of surveillance operations on the suspects before mounting the bust.
Authorities believed that Arroyo and Peralta may have suppliers from their fellow inmates when they were still in jail.
Peralta was arrested in 2003 for violation of Republic Act 9166 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). He was incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison where he served his sentence until his release in 2018.
Arroyo was arrested in 2017 for the same offense and was released in 2020 through plea bargaining agreement.
ABANTAO GROUP
Just like other previously arrested drug pushers, sources claimed that Arroyo and Peralta have links to the Abantao drug group which is believed to be behind the narcotics business in Iloilo.
In April 2021, RPDEU operatives neutralized suspected drug pushers linked to the group.
Deniel Dalisay, 33, a native of Barangay Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo, but was residing at Sitio Cantel, Barangay Damires, Janiuay (the area where the anti-drug operation took place) was killed after putting up a fight with the police.
Dalisay’s friend, 32-year-old Eugene Garzon, also a resident of Damires village, was arrested during the operation.
Their companion, a certain Tarzan, escaped.
Police recovered 11 sachets of suspected shabu, a caliber .9mm pistol (Colt Combat Commander) loaded with five ammunitions, a caliber 9mm ammunition cartridge, the P15,100 marked money, P3,470 cash, and other non-drug items.
The RPDEU valued the seized drugs at P544,000.
In December 2020, Ronel Derojo, 39, of Barangay San Isidro, La Paz, was arrested with around P238,000 worth of shabu in a police anti-narcotics operation in La Paz, Iloilo City.
In 2020, police also nabbed more persons with links to the Abantao group.
The group is led by Jovern Abantao. He and his two brothers are all detained at the New Bilibid Prison
Jovern was also the same inmate who allegedly mobilized drug pushers who were caught with P7.4 million of illegal drugs in an operation in the city and province of Iloilo on Feb. 3, 2020.
Jovern was arrested in 2016 for an illegal drugs offense. For a while, his operation was cut short.
But during a surprise test at the BJMP-District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo almost three years ago, he tested positive for drug use.
