PRO8 scores anew in anti-drug war

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
September 26, 2012

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  Few days after arresting 10 drug pushers in a span of two weeks, two more suspected drug pushers were arrested in separate buy-bust operations conducted by Police Regional Office 8 on Monday.

“Illegal drugs are the menace of our society. It destroys the future of our children,” said PRO8 Director PCSupt Elmer Ragadio Soria. He added that the arrests are part of the police’s intensified crackdown against the illegal drugs following his assumption into office more than a month ago.

Soria identified the suspects as one Joerven Felidolfo Garces Pantorilla, 26, and a resident of Arrandaza Street, Ormoc City and Rammel Tingzon Ubarco, 41, of Barangay Highway, Dulag, Leyte. Both listed in PRO8 watchlist of illegal drugs personalities.

The Regional Director informed that on September 24, Pantorilla was arrested by Ormoc City Police Office- Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) led by PCInsp Ibrahim Jambiran in a buy-bust operation.

Pantorilla was caught as he handed over a sachet of shabu to a poseur buyer at about 7:00 PM on Monday. Also confiscated from him were one aluminum foil strip; an improvised tooter; improvised lamp; one Nokia cellular phone; assorted plastic sachet and the 500-peso marked bill used as buy-bust money.

On same date, Ubarco was apprehended in a buy-bust operation at Barangay Highway, Dulag, Leyte by the joint elements of PAIDSOTG, Leyte PPO and Dulag Police Station led by PSInsp Alberto Renomeron Jr.

Ubarco allegedly sold a pack of suspected shabu to an operative when he was apprehended past 4 p.m. Two more packs of suspected shabu were seized from Ubarco aside from the 500-peso bill used as marked money.

Soria lauded the capture of the suspects, saying the prevention of street crimes and proliferation of illegal drugs are priorities of the Police Regional Office 8. The suspects were placed under surveillance for almost a week before the buy-bust was initiated.

“As much as possible, we prefer to be proactive rather than reactive. The recent arrests speaks well in our effort in the prevention of the proliferation of drugs in the region and is indeed a major accomplishment,” said Soria.