By CESAR JOLITO III
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has confirmed that no major drug syndicates or illegal drug manufacturers are currently operating within the city, even as authorities acknowledge that the city remains a strategic transshipment point in the region’s drug supply chain.
BCPO director Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica warned that Bacolod continues to be identified as a transit hub for illegal drugs entering Negros and moving onward to Panay.
“As the trade center of Negros Island, Bacolod is consistently used as a transshipment point, not only for local consumption but also for distribution to Panay Island,” he added.
Coronica said the supply entering the city is largely sourced from Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, after being ferried from Cebu.
Authorities have yet to identify the origin of these shipments.
BCPO’s latest assessment showed “no organized drug groups” were active in the city, following the dismantling of the Caunda drug group and the arrest of its sub-leader Faisal Sacar in December last year.
“Most of the operations we see now involve freelance individuals engaged in illegal drug activity,” Coronica said.
Low drug-cleared rate in barangays
He also disclosed that only a little over 30 percent of barangays in Bacolod have been certified as drug-cleared under national guidelines — an indicator that the city continues to struggle with the prevalence of illegal drugs at the community level.
“The problem with illegal drugs is that it becomes a livelihood,” Coronica said.
“As long as there is poverty, illegal drugs will remain,” he added.
The BCPO reported that since July 2024, police units have arrested close to 1,000 drug suspects through a series of buy-bust operations and intensified monitoring efforts.
Coronica said the police remain committed to addressing the drug problem but emphasized that enforcement must be paired with social interventions to curb the economic conditions that push individuals toward the illegal trade.
“We are doing our part, but we also need strong community support and sustainable programs that address the roots of the problem,” he added.
P8.4-million drug haul
The Police Regional Office in Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has recorded two major anti-drug breakthroughs in just 24 hours, leading to the confiscation of more than P8.49 million worth of suspected shabu and the arrest of two alleged high-value individuals (HVIs) in Negros Oriental and Bacolod.
Police operatives arrested a 19-year-old female at Purok Narra-Baybay in Bacolod’s Barangay 8 on Sunday, December 7, after she yielded approximately 230 grams of suspected shabu worth P1,564,000.
The buy-bust operation was arranged with the assistance of a confidential informant who said the suspect was supplying drugs to multiple barangays.
Items confiscated included several sachets of suspected shabu, knot-tied plastic packs, buy-bust money, and other non-drug items.
The suspect is currently detained at Police Station 2.
Meanwhile, police dismantled a suspected drug distribution operation in Purok 5, Barangay Jilocon in Negros Oriental’s San Jose town, resulting in the arrest of a 33-year-old HVI.
Authorities said the operation stemmed from a tip from a confidential informant that the suspect was actively selling shabu and carrying a firearm during transactions.
The buy-bust yielded 1,019 grams of suspected shabu valued at P6,929,200.
The suspect remains detained at the police station pending charges.
PRO-NIR Regional Director Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay commended the operating units for their coordination and precision, saying the twin operations demonstrate the region’s strengthened campaign against drug groups attempting to re-establish operations.
“These accomplishments show our firm resolve to cut the supply chain of illegal drugs and safeguard our communities,” Ibay said.
He urged continued public cooperation, emphasizing that community tips remain vital in identifying and stopping drug activities./CJ, WDJ