Iloilo City’s ex-brgy chief nabbed in drug bust

ILOILO CITY — A former barangay captain in Iloilo City, with alleged illegal drugs link, was arrested at Barangay Ungka 2 in Pavia town of Iloilo during a shabu buy-bust operation Tuesday afternoon.

Members of the Police Regional Office-6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-6 (RDEU-6) arrested Noemi Jablo, 47, who was defeated in her re-election bid at Barangay Desamparados, Jaro district of Iloilo City.

Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, RDEU-6 team leader, said Jablo sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P3,500. Reports said that Jablo was with a certain Alton Guirjen, 30, Jablo’s alleged runner also of Barangay Desamparados, when arrested.

Around 10 grams of shabu, worth an estimated P120,000 in street value, cash of P3,000, and a mobile phone were taken from the suspects’ possession.

Bermejo said a police asset was used to transact with the former barangay captain. Her alleged live-in partner just left the area when the police conducted the operation.

Bermejo said the couple maintained a store in Ungka 2, which also serves as a drug den. When police swooped on the area, several persons were seen scampering away from the store.

Jablo was one of the three female barangay captains who were subjected to a City Council’s investigation over the alleged proliferation of prohibited drugs in their respective villages. Her alleged involvement in illegal drugs came to light after the death of her younger brother Carcar Jablo.

Carcar was shot dead on October 2016 at Barangay Desamparados, a killing believed to be drug-related. The following month, Jablo’s husband Rasty, died in an apparent suicide by hanging himself to the ceiling of his detention cell in General Santos City Police Station, after he was arrested for taking hostage a 6-month-old infant.

Prior to that, members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-6 (CIDG-6) raided his house at sitio Little Janiuay in Barangay Cubay of Jaro district in Iloilo City on November 4, 2016.

By virtue of a search warrant, police swooped down on Jablo's house and recovered a .45-caliber pistol with two magazines loaded with nine ammunition, a .38-caliber revolver with two ammunition, ammunition for 12-gauge shotgun, and two gun holsters.

However, Rasty was not present when the raid was conducted. It was believed that he later fled to Gen. Santos City.

Reports earlier indicated that the Jablos were aligned to the group of PDEA-identified drug group leader Richard Prevendido, which was also slain in police operations in September 2017.