Three “high-value” targets yield P47.6 million drugs

CEBU, Philippines —  Around seven kilos of shabu worth P47.6 million were confiscated from three high-value suspects during an operation by the Cebu City Police Office’s intelligence unit in Sitio Tipolo Bridge, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City yesterday morning.

The suspects, Rolando Ondoy Romeo, 32; and his younger brother, 24-year-old Eduard; and Calvin Hermoso Valdez, 42; all residents of Barangay Guadalupe, were arrested in the buy-bust, which was hatched in coordination with the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas.

Initial investigation showed that the suspects got their supply from Rustico Ygot, who is currently detained at the Zamboanga Penal Colony for illegal drugs. Ygot was arrested on May 18, 2010.

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, PRO-7 chief, said the drugs were packed in a Chinese tea bags.

Authorities earlier said shabu in a tea bag is a trademark being used by an international drug ring, Golden Triad, based in China and Hong Kong. The international drug trafficking syndicate reportedly operates in Southeast Asia.

Ferro said the drugs were transported from San Carlos City in Negros Occidental via Toledo City in midwest Cebu. Rolando went to Toledo to pick up the drug supply.

The Toledo City port facilitates travel between Cebu and the neighboring island of Negros via linkages to San Carlos City.

“The problem of Cebu is very porous, there’s a lot of entry points. They could use the legal transport system to bring this kind of contraband,” said Ferro.

Police investigation also revealed that Calvin used a car with “frontliner” sign in delivering the drugs. Calvin’s wife is a nurse in a government hospital.

Police Major Randy Caballes, chief of the City Intelligence Unit, said the suspects were placed under surveillance for almost two months prior to their arrest yesterday.

Rolando, however, belied owning the drugs.

He said they had no idea what was in the package, adding that they were just told to transport it.

“Wala mi kahibawo kinsa tag-iya ana kay igo lang man namo na ihatud kun asa na siya ipahatud sa nagtawag. Wa gani ko kahibawo unsa diay na. Natingala ko nga kahibawo siya sa ako number,” he said when asked by Mayor Edgardo Labella right after the arrest.

[We do not know who owns the drugs as we were just told by the caller to deliver the package. I even had no idea what was in it. I was surprised that he (caller) knew my number.]

But further investigation revealed that Rolando also distributed drugs in April this year when the city was still under the strictest Enhanced Community Quarantine.

Labella said it could be alarming if the drugs were not intercepted.

The mayor also commended the police chiefs for the seizure of multi-million drugs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I would like to commend also the (CCPO) Colonel (Josefino) Ligan, General Ferro…nga sa ilang paningkamot uban sa mga barangay officials mi-flatten ang atung curve but at the same time dili sad nato kalimtan that there is another battle that’s going on, the illegal drugs. That’s why we commend the police,” he said.

In a separate operation in Sibulan town, Negros Oriental, a high-value suspect was killed when he allegedly shot it out with cops during the buy-bust.

Ferro said P13.77 million of drugs were recovered from the suspect, 26-year-old Joemarie Yongco. —  KQD (FREEMAN)