Ex-Bilibid inmate, cousin nabbed after being caught with P6-M shabu

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Police arrested on Tuesday a former inmate of the New Bilibid Prison and his cousin after confiscating P6 million worth of illegal drugs during an operation in Pavia town, Iloilo.

Insp. Ryan Duseo, head of the Provincial Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Group of the Iloilo Provincial Police Office, said Dennis Paderog, 38, and his cousin Christopher, 23, both from the Jaro District here, were detained at the Pavia police station pending the filing of charges.

He said a poseur buyer tried to buy shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from the Paderogs about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday but the suspects noticed the presence of policemen and tried to escape.

They boarded their car and tried to bump one of the policemen in their attempt to flee. The policemen fired at the vehicle. A bullet grazed the right earlobe of Christopher who was driving the car, prompting him to stop.

Police searched the vehicle and found a kilo of shabu with a street value of about P6 million.

Duseo said that based on their initial background check, Dennis was released from the New Bilibid Prison last March 24 after serving 16 years for murder.

He said he had yet to determine why Dennis was released.

But he said they believed that Dennis was recruited by a drug syndicate while inside the national penitentiary. SFM