DAGUPAN CITY — Five notorious drug personalities were arrested and 11 sachets of “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride and several firearms and ammunition were seized during the implementation of One-Time, Big Time Operation by the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in various parts of Dagupan City early today (Wednesday).
Senior Supt. Ronald Oliver Lee, Police Provincial Director, identified those arrested as Aries Victorio, Jun Victorio, both of Barangay Pagaro who were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition; Chrispin “Bong” Garcia, 32, a Target Number 1 personality, and Arnel Quilonio, also of Barangay Pugaro, Target No. 2, who were both arrested for illegal drugs.
Lee, in a press conference at the Dagupan City Police Station, said the One-Time, Big Time operation was participated in by elements of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, Provincial Public Safety Company, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Dagupan City police, the Regional Intelligence Unit; and the PDEA.
Lawmen, however, failed to bag Erlo Garcia, the number 4 Target drug personality who is a Provincial High-Value Target and in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug watch list, when lawmen raided his house early today (Wednesday).
Lee said nevertheless, Garcia will be charged with violation of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or illegal possession of firearms when lawmen found in his house one Cal. 45 Colt with one magazine and seven live ammunition; and RA 9165 as they also found five pieces of sealed plastic sachets containing shabu, one disposable lighters and five pieces of crampled aluminum foil.
Found in the house of the other suspect Chrispin Garcia were three sachets of shabu and another three sachets of shabu in the house of Quilonio.
Another house issued with a search warrant owned by Ricardo Domingo de la Cruz, listed as target number 7, yielded negative result.
Lee identified Aries Victorio, one of the arrested suspects, as brother of incumbent Pugaro Barangay Captain Nestor Victorio.
Lawmen found one Armscor 99 mm pistol with one magazine assembly containing seven live ammunition and one rusted 12-gauge shotgun and 12 live ammunition for the same from the house of Aries Victorio.,
Found by lawmen in the house of Jhun Victorio was one 9 mm. pistol with one magazine containing seven live ammunition, including one 12-gauge rusting shot gun and 18 live ammunition.
Asked by newsmen if the arrest of the suspects would soon put barangay Pugaro in the list of drug cleared barangays, Lee said this is not yet possible since the Erlo Garcia, who is in the Provincial HVT and in the watchlist of President Duterte, is still on the loose.
At least 28 of the 31 barangays of Dagupan City are already drug cleared with the exception of Pugaro, Calmay and Barangay 2 & 3, said Superintendent Franklin Ortiz, chief of police of Dagupan City.
All the 28 drug cleared barangays are undergoing validation to make sure no more drug pushers and users will come back in their respective areas, he added. PNA-northboundasia.com