By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following a meeting with Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office director, Police Colonel Romeo Baleros, and representatives of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology earlier this week, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer confirmed an inmate inside the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Bago City’s Barangay Abuanan has been using the facility as a “command center” for their illegal drug operations.
However, the vice governor refused to identify the inmate.
“We discussed certain measures that will be implemented at NODJ but it is classified so I cannot reveal it in public,” he said.
Ferrer noted, while he does not know what drug syndicate the inmate in question is connected to, he confirmed the individual has “wide machinery” and is linked to a “Chinese drug syndicate.”
He added, there is an ongoing investigation.
A total P7.3 million worth of suspected shabu, weighing more than one kilogram, was seized along South Capitol Road in Bacolod City from Ronaldo Roquero, Jr.  of Talisay City. Police Lieutenant Thurslie Castillo, head of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-Negros Occidental (RDEU-Negros Occidental), said Roquero can be considered a provincial-level high-value target because of the volume of drugs recovered.
Roquero told police the seized items were sourced from Manila and he was tasked to distribute across the province by two NODJ inmates who earlier mentioned but not identified. The RDEU official added, Roquero linked suspected drug lord Michael Divinagracia to their illegal drug transactions but did not elaborate on his role./DGB, WDJ