Drug moles ‘Cold Ice,’ ‘Bombay’ get cold cash

Two men in masks went home P1.8 million richer after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) gave out cash rewards to its latest civilian informants.

The tipster given the alias “Cold Ice” got P1,092,842.20 for providing leads that enabled PDEA to seize 14.59 kilos of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and the arrest of three suspected drug peddlers on West Avenue, Quezon City, on Aug. 25.

The other informant called “Bombay” received P757,946.83 for playing a key role in the confiscation of 9.9 kilos of shabu and the arrest of another suspected drug trafficker, a foreigner, on Aug. 8 in Barangay San Vicente also in Quezon City.

PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. personally gave the tipsters their rewards on Friday at the PDEA headquarters.

The recipients worked under the agency’s Operation Private Eye (OPE), which it described as a citizen-based intelligence program in the battle against the drug menace.

“OPE is a reward and incentive scheme designed to counter fear and apathy as hindrance to active participation of the citizenry in reporting any suspected illegal drug activities in their neighborhood,” Cacdac said in a statement.

OPE is a joint program of the PDEA, the Dangerous Drugs Board and various citizen groups against illegal drugs.

Its rewards committee has approved a resolution granting a total of P1,850,789.03 in cash rewards to Cold Ice and Bombay. The men were wearing ski masks to keep their identities secret during the awarding. Julie M. Aurelio