Following comments made by Silay City Mayor Mark Golez, saying he would like to see local drug lord Michael Divinagracia captured “dead or alive,” Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. yesterday affirmed his desire to see the drug personality captured alive. He also reminded law enforcement to ensure sufficient evidence is obtained before conducting an arrest.

“It is better to let go [of] a thousand guilty [persons], than to put one innocent person in jail,” he said.

The governor also noted, Divinagracia is innocent until proven guilty and, if the allegations of illegal activity are proven true, he can change by undergoing drug rehabilitation.

Earlier, the Silay City mayor ordered his police chief to capture Divinagracia “dead or alive,” adding his arrest or death would be the only solution to ending illegal drugs in the city.

Golez’s statement came in light of the recent arrest of Jose Alberto Kilayko Pinaga and his live-in partner, Maebelle Belmonte Poblador, in Dumangas, Iloilo, after they attempted to bring in P18 million worth of shabu into the province, both of whom are said to have links to the local drug lord.

Divinagracia, meanwhile, is also believed to be linked with the notorious Aki Cuadra robbery group, which operates in Bacolod City and nearby towns and cities./DGB, WDJ