War on drugs in Eastern Visayas continues

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — The Police Regional Office-8 said the war on illegal drugs, or its Project Double Barrel against drug personalities in Eastern Visayas, is continuing with the arrests of some suspects in the provinces of Samar Island and the killing of others in Tacloban City.

Chief Superintendent Elmer Beltejar, director of  PRO-8, said his command recorded–from July 1 to September 15–a total of 14,056 house visitations (Tokhang), resulting in the surrender of 23,871 drug personalities (users and pushers). PRO-8 also recorded arrests of 335 drug suspects and the killing of 30 others who tried to fight it out with the authorities.

In Tacloban City on September 20, drug suspect Edward Kierulf, 36, a police high-value-target from Fatima Village in this city, was killed in a police buy-bust operation at Barangay Cogon, San Jose district of the city.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Bade, director of  the Tacloban City Police Office, said Edward using his .38-caliber revolver, fired at the operatives first before he was killed. Edward's nephew Manny Kierulf was also arrested during the operation, yielding sachet of shabu, a gun and the P500 marked money.

On September 18, the Northern Samar police arrested Rolito, Basista, 49, a jail guard of the Dancalan Provincial Jail, in a buy-bust at Barangay Baybay in Catarman, Northern Samar. The suspect yielded four sachets of shabu and the marked money.

On September 17 at Barangay Dacut in Taft, Eastern Samar, joint teams of  the police and the military arrested Senior Police Officer 1 Greg Dongallo, who has been on AWOL from his assignment at the Balangiga Municipal Police Station.

Confiscated from Dongallo were eight sachets of shabu, a .38-caliber revolver loaded with five bullets, drug paraphernalia and a P500 marked money.

In the evening of September 16, a police-military team, while conducting a checkpoint at Barangay Garden in Arteche, Eastern Samar, intercepted a motorcycle driven by Felipe Senobio, 34, a farmer residing in Palanas, Northern Samar.

The motorcycle was stolen from its owner, Cornelio Bianes, at San Policarpio, Eastern Samar. During the body search, the police found from Senobio two sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and a bladed weapon, locally known as balisong.

Beltejar lauded the operatives for the successful drug busts, which were parts of the intensified crackdown against illegal drugs menace in Eastern Visayas. He also asked the public to support fully the police by providing relevant information leading to the arrest of drug personalities in the region. (FREEMAN)