By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

In the aftermath of the recent death of top Western Visayas drug lord Richard ‘Buang’ Prevendido, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) yesterday validated a list of local drug lords and identified eight operating in the city.

BCPO acting director, Police Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, refused to name the individuals, but said they were all “well-known,” adding they were already considered infamous before other drug lords like Prevendido and Melvin ‘Boyet’ Odicta, Sr. rose to prominence.

Wanky noted, previously-identified local drug lords, including Mohamed Camaria and Berya Tolentino, are still in Negros Occidental.

He added, while there are no ongoing investigations into government officials linked to drug lords, the city police chief did not rule out the possibility of existing connections.

In regards to Prevendido himself, Wanky believes his termination will make a huge impact on the supply and sale of illegal drugs, but said it would have been better if the drug lord were captured alive, as he could potentially provide more details regarding the local drug trade./DGB, WDJ