By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – A video of an alleged drug peddler went viral early this week after he took off his clothes during a buy-bust operation in Silay City, Negros Occidental to allegedly prevent the police from “planting evidence” on him.
Jezrel Diaz, 24, of Barangay Lantad, an alleged high-value individual, was arrested after he allegedly sold a shabu to a police agent for P6,600 in Barangay Mambulac on Oct. 30.
Police also seized from Diaz 20 grams of suspected shabu worth P136,000, and several non-illegal drug items.
But while policemen were about to conduct an inventory of the recovered illegal drugs, Diaz allegedly resisted and started to shout, prompting residents to go out of their houses.
Based on a video posted by a netizen on social media on Oct. 31, Diaz was initially seen half-naked while a police officer was restraining him from behind.
Diaz then removed his underwear while shouting and asking for help from his neighbors and other residents.
He was heard shouting in the video that no illegal drugs were recovered from him and that there was no transaction that happened.
Loud screams from the suspect’s family and some residents were also heard in the video, as they insisted that the recovered illegal drugs were allegedly “planted” on Diaz.
As the tension arose, two police operatives were seen brandishing their firearms, as the area was cordoned off.
Diaz was taken to the police station despite his resistance.
The original video received mixed reactions from netizens and gained more than 1 million views. But, it was deleted later that day.
Some netizens who managed to save a copy of the video already re-uploaded it to social media.
In fact, the incident reached the attention of Senator Raffy Tulfo, who also discussed it on his radio program on Nov. 1.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay City police chief, said the transaction was already consummated before the suspect acted aggressively in the video.
Darroca maintained that the buy-bust operation was legitimate.
He said that most of the arrested drug suspects would always claim that the evidence was “planted” on them.
But, he noted that police operatives have body cameras and witnesses during drug bust operations.
Darroca said that the video only went viral because Diaz was seen naked.
“Wala man to planted na gin pakita or irregularity. Ka tawhay lang man to gani, gasinggit lang siya,” he added.
Darroca said the suspect was previously arrested for a drug offense in 2019 but he was released on bail.
When asked for his reaction to negative comments from netizens, Darroca said he doesn’t want to dwell anymore on them.
He said that it is their right, as long as the PNP as a whole is not dragged into it and they have not violated any law, particularly the cybercrime law.
Darroca urged drug pushers to stop engaging in the illegal drug trade, and drug users to stop using contraband so that they won’t end up in jail.
For his part, Diaz is calling for justice in the recent incident.
He maintained that police did not recover any illegal drugs from him and that it was just “planted.”
