By Jennifer P. Rendon
A village official from San Enrique, Iloilo was arrested for allegedly engaging in the illegal drug trade afternoon of June 26.
Elvie Paez, 47, barangay captain of Lip-ac village, San Enrique, was nabbed at the nearby Barangay Palje around 4:10 p.m. Monday.
Members of San Enrique Municipal Police Station, together with personnel from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), the IPPO Provincial Special Operations Group (PSOG), and the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, led the operation.
Paez allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P1,000.
The suspect also yielded 10 more sachets of suspected shabu after his arrest.
Police also seized a 12-gauge shotgun homemade, a revolver, a Samsung mobile phone, five cartridges of unknown caliber, a cartridge and a holster for a 12-gauge shotgun, a revolver holster, a disposable lighter, a pack of cigarettes, a pouch, and a Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle.
Captain Johnny Oro, San Enrique police chief, said Paez is considered a newly-identified drug personality.
Reports of his involvement in illegal drugs reached police authorities in recent months only. He was then placed under surveillance.
Oro said they confirmed Paez’s alleged illegal drug trade after a runner of a known drug personality was collared a few weeks back.
The runner squealed that he had been delivering illegal drugs to Paez.
Paez is now detained and will be charged for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act).
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, Western Visayas police chief, said that Paez’s arrest is a manifestation that the police in Western Visayas are doing their share in the 5-focused agenda of CPNP for honest and aggressive law enforcement operations by delivering positive results in the drug war.
“Elected government officials engaging in illegal drugs have no place in Western Visayas. The police cannot do it alone. We thank the community for giving us valuable information that resulted in this high-impact accomplishment,” Villaflor said.
It can be noted that there are 430 barangay officials who are on the PNP’s watchlist of illegal drug personalities.
The 76 officials from Western Visayas are composed of both high-value and street-level individuals.
But it’s highly possible that Paez was not included on the list.
Twenty of the 76 drug-linked officials are punong barangay (barangay captains while 56 are barangay kagawads (village councilmen).
Of the 20 barangay captains, five are from Negros Occidental while Iloilo and Antique province have four each; Aklan and Capiz with 3 each; and Iloilo City with one.
Meanwhile, for barangay kagawads, Capiz has the most number with 17; Iloilo province with 11; Negros Occidental with 10; Aklan and Antique with 8 each; and Bacolod City and Iloilo City with one each.
