Puerto Princesa City — A week after 24 police chiefs were recommended by the Regional Oversight Committee to be relieved from their posts due to poor anti-illegal drugs campaign accomplishment, the police force across MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) showed its fangs and launched operations that resulted in the arrests of 138, and the killing of two barangay officials between June 8-16, 2018.
Killed in separate buy-bust operations were newly elected Barangay Captain Pistoh Akin Hamja, who was identified as a High Value Target (HVT) by Balabac Municipal Police Station, Palawan, and Barangay Councilor Ildefonso Minoza Nanola, who was identified as a Street Level Target (SLT) by Puerto Galera Municipal Police Station, Oriental Mindoro.
Ronie Landicho Gozar of Naujan, Mindoro Oriental, who was listed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s Narco List and validated by PDEA MIMAROPA, was among the 138 arrested persons that included fifty-two (52) arrested for illegal drugs, including three (3) High Value Targets and one (1) Street Level Target. Forty-two (42) Wanted Persons were also bagged, of which four (4) were Most Wanted Persons with Rank Numbers 2 and 10 in their Municipalities. Meanwhile, nine (9) were jailed for Illegal Logging, thirty-three (33) for Illegal Gambling and two (2) for Violation of Republic Act 10591.
The four (4) Most Wanted Persons arrested for murder were identified as Danilo Asuelo Desalon alias “Danny”, second most wanted in Aborlan, Palawan; Romeo Mercado, second most wanted in Calapan, Mindoro; Vicente Martinez Cabildo second most wanted in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; and Alfie Sadio Cartalla, 10th most wanted in Dumaran, Palawan.
In the eight-day intensive operations, 103 sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu”, one (1) sachet of marijuana leaves, one (1) 9MM firearm and several drug paraphernalia were confiscated from the suspects.
In the anti-illegal logging drive, there were 2,170.97 board feet of assorted illegally sawn lumbers that were confiscated which is estimated to have the value of Php52,837.00.
On the other hand, in the anti-illegal gambling operations, more or less Php2,120.00 bet money were confiscated with several gambling paraphernalia while on Violation of RA 10591, two (2) short firearms, one (1) caliber 38 revolver and 9MM pistol and four (4) live ammunition were confiscated.
Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro Police Provincial Offices have the most number of arrested persons in illegal drugs with 16 each, followed by Palawan and Puerto Princesa with 9, Romblon with 2 and Marinduque with 1.
The members of the Regional Oversight Committee are continuously monitoring the performances of the Chiefs of Police per directive of regional police director PCSUPT Emmanuel Luis Licup, especially those with the least number of accomplishments, as he wants to enforce the PNP chief’s directive of “putting the right person in the right job.”