PDEA nabs ex-village chief, seizes P8M shabu

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Anti-narcotics agents arrested a former barangay captain during an anti-illegal drug raid at Pototan town in Iloilo, and seized from him about a kilo of shabu, with an estimated street value of P8 million.

Levi Ortiz, assistant director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 6, said the suspect, 50-year-old Ramon Platon, was arrested early morning yesterday at his house in Barangay Intaluan.

Platon's arrest was considered a big sellout in the PDEA's campaign against illegal drugs since the suspect is Iloilo province's number one drug personality. Ortiz said the drugs taken from the former barangay official were concealed in a bag.

When the raiding team entered his house, Platon threw the bag, which landed on his neighbor's yard. "Out of fear, the neighbor did not touch the bag and gave permission to our agents to get and check what's inside," Ortiz said. As expected, the bag contained shabu.

Ortiz said Platon had been on PDEA-6’s watchlist for quite sometime already. The suspect used to get his supply from slain drug group leader Melvin Odicta Sr. and another drug leader, Richard Prevendido, who remains at large as of yesterday. "For now, we are still checking his (Platon) source of illegal drugs," Ortiz said.

Platon was catapulted as the province's topmost drug personality because of the volume of illegal drugs he's supply and his areas of operation.

Ortiz said Platon had a standing arrest warrant for double murder, after he was tagged to be behind the killing of Bryner Hidalgo and Eric Fabiana at Barangay Towi in Barotac Nuevo town on February 18, last year.

The group, which Platon belonged to is also into kidnapping and robbery, PDEA reports added. But Ortiz said they have yet to check if Platon has other pending arrest warrants involving other crimes. (FREEMAN)