E. Visayas shabu haul: P100M from raids, ops

TACLOBAN CITY—Police in Eastern Visayas have seized at least P100 million worth of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) since the Duterte administration launched a brutal war on drugs in July almost as soon as the President assumed office.

Ma. Bella Rentuaya, information officer of the regional PNP office, said the seized drugs are deposited for safekeeping and for use as evidence against suspects at the office of the PNP Crime Laboratory in Camp Ruperto Kangleon in Palo, Leyte province, the regional police headquarters.

“The items are safe in our crime laboratory,” Rentuaya said.

The P101 million worth of shabu, weighing a total of 12 kilograms, include those seized from the house of Ronaldo Espinosa Sr., mayor of Albuera town, Leyte, during a raid on Aug. 10 and which was worth P88 million.

Rentuaya said the drugs seized from Espinosa’s house are “our biggest haul yet since we started our antidrug operations.”

Espinosa is father of Kerwin, who was tagged by police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as Eastern Visayas’ top drug lord.

The controversial Albuera mayor is now under protective police custody in Albuera under Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, the town police chief.

Kerwin is still in hiding as PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa issued a shoot on sight order against him.

Mayor Espinosa continued to plead to his son to surrender.

He reiterated this after submitting his answer to a murder complaint filed at the Ormoc City prosecutor’s office for the killing of Alfredo Bucabuca, a retired policeman.

Two men believed to be members of Kerwin’s syndicate were the latest to surrender to Espenido. They were identified as Ferdinand Rondina and Galo Stephen Bobares.

Mayor Espinosa also called on the other members of his son’s syndicate to surrender. He identified one of them as a certain Max Miro.

According to the Western Visayas police, at least 251 antidrug operations have been conducted and 261 suspects arrested.

Rentuaya said charges of drug possession or selling had been filed against those arrested. With a report from Robert Dejon, Inquirer Visayas