BPPO hauls P4.2-M drugs in 2 days, but draws criticisms
TAGBILARAN CITY — Police operatives in Bohol hauled a total of 355 grams of shabu, worth P4.2 million, in 50 raids around the province on November 5 and 6, according to Superintendent Ricky Delelis, operations in-charge of the Bohol Provincial Police Office, in a press conference Monday,
The 48-hour anti-illegal drug campaign ordered by the Camp Dagohoy-based BPPO however drew mixed reactions from various sectors. A mayor in one of Bohol towns, who requested not to be named, said raids were “just for show.”
There were some who praised the police for carrying out the massive crackdown against illegal drugs, but wanted these done in the barangays on a daily basis. There were text messages sent to the media criticizing the raids. One message said: “50 drug raids in 48 hours as ordered by (BPPO director) Senior Supt. Dennis Agustin on his 50th birthday.”
Agustin, reacting to the public bashing, said the raids were part of the anti-illegal drugs campaign, dubbed One-Time-Big-Time, under the Oplan Lambat Sibat program of the DILG.
Delelis said it was BPPO’s biggest operations so far since the anti-illegal drugs campaign started a year ago, as the police units in the towns and this capital city of Bohol were able to serve 26 search warrants, arrested 53 suspects, recovered two high-powered guns and seized 355 grams of shabu worth P4.2 million.
Delelis said the raids also resulted in the killing of an alleged gun-for-hire, Corsino Bautista, who was the suspect in the killings of two barangay officials and two others in Buenavista town.
Baustista, who was facing a warrant of arrest for murder, issued by Judge Jorge Cabalit of the Regional Trial Courtbranch 48 in Tagbilaran City, died at the hospital, while the police recovered from him an M-16 rifle and a shotgun.
Other drug suspects were also arrested in the towns of Cortes, Dagohoy, Baclayon, Candijay, Sikatuna, Lila, Loboc, Duero, Sierra-Bullones, Alicia, Trinidad, Anda, Buenavista, Clarin, Jagna, Loon, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sevilla, Trinidad, Tubigon, Calape, Catigbian, Corella, Dauis, Garcia-Hernandez, President Carlos P. Garcia, Talibon, Valencia, and Getafe.
Subjects of the raids in Guindulman, San Isidro, and Panglao towns however managed to escape, while one in Loay was not around when the raid was conducted there.