Dureza nephew nabbed in drug sting

Jesus Dureza

DAVAO CITY—Antinarcotics agents have arrested a nephew of Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza in a sting operation in Davao City, causing embarrassment to one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s top officials.

Dureza, a childhood friend of the President who leads a troubled peace process with communist rebels, on Friday praised authorities for showing no favors to those with connections to high officials as they wage Mr. Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

Adzhar Albani, director for Southern Mindanao of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said John Paul Dureza, 33,  was arrested on Thursday along with John Anthony Huilar, 38, during a drug buy-bust operation.

Albani said agents seized about 15 grams of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth about P225,000, a .22-cal. rifle and more than 170 bullets from the two men in Barangay Catalunan Pequeño in Talomo district.

“I am of course embarrassed as he is a close relative,” Dureza said in a Facebook post on Friday. “I slept early last night (still on sick leave but feeling okay) only to wake up early to be informed that one of my nephews was arrested by PDEA for drugs.”

“I commend the authorities for enforcing and applying the law without fear or favor,” he added.

Albani said agents had long been “shadowing” Dureza’s nephew, who is on PDEA’s “validated watchlist” for his drug deals with members of prominent Davao City families.

Separate drug sting

In separate drug sting operations also on Thursday, PDEA agents arrested a Maguindanao politician and four other people in Cotabato City, said Bryan Babang, PDEA chief for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Babang said Fatima Daud Baliwan, chair of the association of village chiefs of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, was arrested carrying a huge sachet containing suspected shabu, a .45-cal. pistol, five mobile phones, a bank passbook and credit cards. Agents also seized a Toyota Land Cruiser she had used.

Baliwan, 44, is also an ex-officio member of the Kabuntalan town council and wife of former Kabuntalan mayor Muslim Usman Baliwan.

Arrested with Baliwan were Norodin Daud Baliwan, 27, Anwar Guiaman Guiamelon, 32, both of Cotabato City, and Basir Baliwan, 21, of Upi, Maguindanao.

Dureza’s nephew and the others arrested are facing charges of violating the dangerous drugs law and were being held in PDEA detention cells.

The arrests came weeks after police antinarcotics officers who allegedly kidnapped and killed a Korean businessman they had arrested on false drug charges were exposed, forcing Duterte to suspend all police antidrug operations.

The PDEA is now leading the antidrug campaign and will be using the military for support during raids in hostile situations.

Duterte is also sending 200 police officers facing internal investigations to a troubled Basilan province to fight Islamist militants.

More than 7,000 alleged drug offenders have died in the war on drugs over the past seven months, including those killed by police officers and vigilantes. —WITH REPORTS FROM ALLAN NAWAL, EDWIN FERNANDEZ AND LEILA B. SALAVERRIA