By Jennifer P. Rendon
Two alleged members of a drug group, whose leader is now incarcerated, were arrested in a police anti-narcotics operations afternoon of Nov 18, 2020 in Guimbal, Iloilo.
Police identified the suspects as Raymond Terosa, 26, of Taneza St., Barangay 1, Tigbauan, Iloilo; and Ruby Dayatao, 27, of Balantad Street, Guimbal.
Joint elements of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), Guimbal Police Station, and the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company conducted the buy bust operation against the duo 12:30 pm Wednesday at Gerona-Gemino in Guimbal.
Seized from Terosa’s possession were 20 sachets of suspected shabu, P15,000 marked money, and a mobile phone.
The seized substance weighed 14.7 grams and had an estimated value of P100,000.
Major Gervinson Moyo, IPPO-PDEU chief, said that the suspects were alleged members of the Abantao Drug Group, whose main players are detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
The two suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
ABANTAO GROUP
On Oct 19, a woman whose alleged lover is incarcerated for a drug offense, was arrested in an anti-illegal drugs operation in Molo, Iloilo City.
Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) Team 3 and the Iloilo City Police Station 4 arrested Eliza May Malfarta, 25, a resident of Barangay San Juan, Molo, and her alleged cohort, Distin Jay Garvilles, at Zone 3, Barangay Boulevard, Molo.
Malfarta’s live-in partner Bernie Abantao has been incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Garvilles was an alleged street level pusher.
The two yielded P600,000 worth of suspected shabu.
The RPDEU-6 believed that Malfarta was being used by the Abantao Gang in the latter’s drug trade.
The group is led by Bernie’s brother, Jovern alias Jovan.
Jovern, Bernie and another brother 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.
The group allegedly arranged the transaction with the suppliers.
The items were shipped through roll on, roll off (Ro-Ro) cargoes and were dropped at Mohon Transport Terminal in Arevalo, Iloilo City.
The local PNP has earlier said that they are validating the clout of the Abantao group.
The PNP said they could be part of the Odicta or Prevendido drug groups, the two main drugs groups in Iloilo.
Abantao was arrested in 2016 for an illegal drugs offense.
For a while, his operation was cut short.
But Jovern was found positive in a surprise drug test at BJMP-District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo almost three years ago.
Meanwhile, another Abantao relative was also arrested in a buy-bust operation on July 30, 2019 in Arevalo, Iloilo City.
Warren Abantao, 25, of Zone 12, Calaparan, Arevalo, was arrested after selling a sachet of suspected shabu for P5,500.
Operatives from the PNP Regional Drug Enforcement Unit also recovered from Warren 22 sachets of suspected shabu.
RDEU classified the suspect, who was an Oplan Tokhang surrenderer, as a high value target (HVT) level 1 drug personality.
