By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 30-year-old woman was arrested for possessing millions of pesos worth of suspected shabu in a drug sting in Oton, Iloilo early morning of January 5, 2021.
Mary Joy Villarina, 39, a resident of Deca Homes in Barangay Pandac, Pavia, Iloilo, was collared 2AM Tuesday at Barangay San Antonio, Oton.
Members of the Oton Police Station, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office – Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), and the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) Team 1 nabbed Villarina after she allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth P9,000 to a police undercover agent.
Police recovered from Villarina five sachets of suspected shabu weighing 450 to 500 grams and valued at P6 to P8 million, and P11,670 cash, including the marked money.
Iloilo Police Chief Colonel Gilbert Gorero said Villarina’s arrest was a result of a follow-up operation to an earlier buy-bust operation at Barangay Trapiche, Oton at around 1AM Tuesday.
The operation led to the arrest of Jimbee Polo, 38, a resident of Barangay San Antonio, Oton, and Efren Salinas, 38, of Barangay Lambuyao, Oton.
The duo sold two sachets of suspected shabu for P2,000 to a police poseur buyer. Recovered from them were 15 sachets of suspected shabu worth P15,000 and P6,220 cash.
It appeared that Salinas, a drug surrenderer, was one of Villarina’s “trusted downline.”
It did not take long for Salinas and Polo to squeal on their supplier during the investigation.
All along, Villarina thought that she was dealing with Salinas and agreed to meet the “latter” in Oton town where she was arrested.
Police did not expect that Villarina was carrying a huge volume of shabu by her lonesome.
Gorero said Villarina may have sources in Negros Occidental.
It appears that Villarina’s participation in illegal drugs trade is nothing new as her estranged husband had been arrested and detained for an illegal drug-related offense earlier.
He eventually availed of the plea-bargaining agreement. But police claimed the two never got back.
Villarina eventually had a relationship with another drug personality from Mandurriao, Iloilo City. The man was also arrested and detained for an illegal drug offense. He later died due to cardiac arrest while in detention.
Gorero theorized that Villarina took over her deceased live-in partner’s drug connection and started her own business.
All three suspects are now detained at Oton Police Station and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
