PDEA shake-up starts in Western Visayas

ILOILO CITY—The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) started a top-to-bottom revamp in Western Visayas following a recent announcement by Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, that a new drug lord has taken over illegal drug activities in the region.

Lawyer Gil Pabilona, PDEA Western Visayas director, was moved to the office of the director general in Manila on Tuesday. He was replaced by Wardley Getalla, who used to head the PDEA office in the now dissolved Negros Island Region.

Mario Ramos, PDEA assistant regional director, was assigned to the PDEA regional office in Central Luzon and was replaced by investigation agent Melvin Estoque.

About 20 agents in the region were also relieved and reassigned.

But the PDEA central office described the revamp in Western Visayas as “normal” and should not be seen as disciplinary action on its officials and personnel.

“It is meant to enhance the performance of our units,” Derrick Arnold Carreon, chief of the PDEA public information office, told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

He said the transfer would ensure that PDEA personnel would not become “too familiar” with their areas of assignment.

“PDEA is a dynamic agency,” said PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña in a statement.

“These progressions were done to ensure the fulfillment of President Duterte’s obligation to the Filipino people to continue the fight against illegal drugs by all means that the law allows. It will be relentless and it will be sustained,” he said.

The revamp came amid a claim by Dela Rosa that a new drug lord has emerged in Western Visayas to replace suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta, who was slain with his wife, Merriam, in Aklan province last year.

Richard Prevendido, the suspected leader of of another drug group in the region, remains at large amid a P1 million cash reward offered by the police for his arrest.

Dela Rosa declined to name the new drug lord in the region while police officials refused to confirm what the PNP chief had said.

Dela Rosa directed police offices in the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, Aklan, Antique and Negros Occidental to step up their antidrug campaign, saying the police should arrest more drug suspects.