Top Cebu drug lord surrenders to Bato

Franz Sabalones, whom the police tagged as one of the biggest drug lords in Central Visayas, surrenders to PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

One of the biggest drug lords in Central Visayas has yielded to Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa and admitted his involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Franz Sabalones, whom the police tagged as the second biggest drug lord in Cebu next to his former boss slain drug kingpin Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, turned himself in to the police on Sunday night within the 24-hour deadline President Duterte gave to politicians and uniformed personnel involved in drugs.

Franz, however, was not on Duterte’s drug list but his brother Fralz, vice mayor of San Fernando town in southern Cebu, who has claimed being a victim of mistaken identity.

The Sabalones brothers went to Camp Crame on Monday morning—Franz to admit his being a drug lord and Fralz to clear his name.

“Gusto ko nang magbago (I want to change my ways),” Franz said when De la Rosa asked what made him surrender to the police.

“Kung hindi siya magbago, mapapatay talaga ito. Ngayong nag-surrender ka, magbago ka na ha? (If he won’t change, he’ll get killed. Now that you’ve surrendered, change already, okay?)” the police chief told Franz during his meeting with other local officials on Duterte’s list.

His brother, meanwhile, explained to De la Rosa that he was disappointed with what he claims a mistaken identity when Duterte publicly announced the names of alleged “narcopoliticians.”

“Kapatid ko si Franz. Pero nabasa ni President Duterte ‘yung pangalan ko. Masakit sa damdamin ko ‘yung nangyari,” Fralz said.

(Franz is my brother. But President Duterte read my name. What happened was hurtful to me.)

Jaguar’s henchman

In a press conference after his meeting with the local executives, De la Rosa revealed to the media that Franz was Jaguar’s underling who later broke away from the slain drug kingpin’s group, directly dealing with from Peter Co, a Chinese drug lord detained in the New Bilibid Prisons.

Aside from Co, Franz also sourced drugs from a certain David Sy.

“Ang pamamaraan ng pag-deliver sa kanila ay halos every month. Sa high end na SUV kinakarga doon yung 15 kilos (of shabu) para hindi masita papuntang Cebu,” De la Rosa said.

(Their deliveries were every month. They carried 15 kilos of shabu in a high end SUV so that they won’t be apprehended going to Cebu.)

“Pagdating doon sa Cebu, pinapark lang nila doon sa parking area ng Gaisano Mall. Pinapasa doon at doon nag-didistribute ng goods. ‘Yun ang sabi niya (Franz) sa akin kagabi,” he added.

(When they reach Cebu, they park in Gaisano Mall’s parking area. They distribute their goods there. That’s what Franz told me.)

Police protector 

De la Rosa said Franz confessed to him that he had been giving a “weekly payola” of P200,000 to a police colonel in Cebu whom De la Rosa declined to identify. The police colonel, De la Rosa said, has been transferred to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional police.

“Baka mapatay ko ‘yung colonel na ipapatawag. Hawakan ko leeg at baliin ko leeg kapag nasa harap ko siya,” he said.

(I might kill this colonel. I’ll hold his neck and break it when he’s in front of me.)

De la Rosa said when he asked Franz if the police colonel gives a share to other general acting as his protector, Franz said: “Hanggang colonel lang binibigyan niya ng pera at hindi nya alam kung itong colonel na ito na close sa general ay nag-reremit ng pera doon sa general (The colonel is the only one receiving the money and he doesn’t know if this colonel, who is close to the general, remits money to the general).”  JE/rga

RELATED VIDEO