By Jennifer P. Rendon
The Pavia Municipal Police Station maintained the lead in Iloilo province’s anti-illegal drug campaign for two consecutive years.
Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) records showed that Pavia PNP posted the highest number of anti-illegal drugs operations and arrests and the volume of confiscated illegal drugs.
In 2020, different IPPO units and police stations confiscated more than PHP20-million worth of illegal drugs from their 149 police operations. These led to the arrest of 197 drug personalities.
Pavia MPS arrested 54 drug suspects in 2020, double the number of arrested persons (27) in 2019.
It also recovered more than P12 million worth of illegal drugs, or more than 50 percent of the total estimated value of IPPO’s recoveries.
Meanwhile, Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo Police Chief, said IPPO’s number of operations showed that the pandemic did not stall their campaign against anti-illegal drugs campaign. This year’s amount of confiscated illegal drugs is higher by almost tenfold against P2.8 million worth of illegal drugs seized in 2019.
Meanwhile, Estancia MPS came in second after arresting 16 persons and confiscating
PHP13,000 worth of illegal drugs.
Santa Barbara MPS is on the third sport with 15 arrested drug personalities and confiscating more than PHP3.7-million worth of illegal drugs.
Gorero said the result of the anti-illegal drug campaign manifests not only the dedication and sacrifices of the Ilonggo public and partner-law enforcement agencies, particularly of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency 6, but also of the strong support of the community.
“This accomplishment could never be possible without our civilian agents and even the ordinary people who provided the information to realize most, if not all, of our anti-illegal drug operations,” he said.
Gorero also assured that the Iloilo PNP would never shy away from gathering information and initiating anti-illegal drug operations in the province.
“Definitely, our war on illegal drugs continues. We will not allow drug peddlers to put to waste the milestones in our efforts to make Iloilo province drug-free,” he said.
The IPPP records also showed that Oton and Pototan made 11 arrests; Cabatuan and Leganes with nine each; Janiuay with 8; Barotac Nuevo and Passi City with 6 each; Miag-ao, Dumangas, and Carles with 5 each; Barotac Nuevo and Sara with 4 each; Tigbauan, Sara, and Zarraga with 3 each; and Guimbal, Maasin, Dueñas, and Concepcion.
The towns of Alimodian, Leon, New Lucena, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, San Enrique, Balasan, Lemery, and San Dionisio made a lone anti-illegal drug arrest for the whole year.
