Magpale also gets threats

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from the head of the Cebu Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Office, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale yesterday admitted she also received threats due to the province's anti-illegal drugs campaign.

But unlike CPADAO Chief Ivy Durano-Meca, who received a threatening text message, Magpale said a person was the one who informed her of the threat to her life.

She said the threat likely was related to the greyhound operation inside the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center that resulted to the confiscation of contrabands following reports that some inmates managed to engage in cyberpornography despite being in jail.

The vice governor did not give further details on the threat but said they would just be more vigilant.

"Wa gyuy mahimo kay mopadayon man gyud mi. In fact, I know usa sa mga nakuha namo kay timbangan og shabu" she said, referring to the CPDRC operation.

She said she already informed Governor Hilario Davide III regarding the threat and that she likewise advised the governor to likewise be extra careful.

Davide, for his part, said he already asked the Cebu Provincial Police Office to assign additional security personnel to Meca as the threat could be serious.

Meanwhile, at the Police Regional Office-7, Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, yesterday challenged those people behind the death threats sent to Meca and Danao City Police Station Chief Alejandro Batobalonos to face him instead.

Meca and Batobalonos separately received death threats from unknown persons after Medz Alvaro, brother of suspected drug lord Alvaro "Barok" Alvaro, was killed in a buy-bust operation in Danao City last August 12

"Eh kung sino man yong mag-threaten ako nalang ang harapin nila. Ako ang regional director dito, ako ang aako lahat ng threat na yan at magharap-harapan na kami," Taliño said.

"Kung sino-sino ang idadamay nila dito, nagtatrabaho lang yang mga taong they threaten," the PRO-7 director said.

In response to the threats, Taliño sent a team from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB)-7 to augment the Danao City police force.

Medz and his cohort, Ronnie "Moning" Castro, both residents of Pulangyuta, Looc, Danao City, died after they allegedly shot it out with authorities during a buy-bust operation launched against Medz and Barok's wife, who was not there.

After the transaction was completed, Batobalonos said the suspects sensed that they were transacting with the police, so they pulled out their firearms and shot it out with them. Both Medz and Castro were rushed to the hospital but they were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The police confiscated from Medz a .9mm pistol with magazine loaded with four live bullets, 15 pieces of small heat-sealed plastic sachets believed to be shabu, P1,000 believed to be proceeds, and P200 buy-bust money. —/RHM (FREEMAN)