Mayor Lani vows relentless action vs. drug menace

Intensified operations ordered after big arrest

Following a successful buy-bust operation of about P5-million worth of illegal drugs in Barangay Pinagsama last October 24, Mayor Lani Cayetano ordered the police anti-illegal drugs unit to intensify action against the illegal menace to send a clear message to drug syndicates that they have no place in Taguig City.

“It is our duty to look after the welfare of our constituents. Bale wala ang lahat ng ginagawa natin para sa magandang kinabukasan ng mga Taguigeno lalo na ng mga kabataan kung hindi natin susugpuin ang iligal na droga sa ating siyudad,” Mayor Lani said.

“That is why I ask our police force to be relentless in going after big drug syndicates. I laud the recent victory of our local police, but I encourage them to go a step further and paralyze the illegal drug operations in the city,” she added.

SPO2 Romeo Pepito, the arresting officer in the police operations last Oct. 24, revealed that the operatives refused to accept the P10-million bribe offered by the two suspects in exchange for their freedom, saying the laws are strict on the matter.

He said that prior to the arrest, a police officer posing as a buyer first bought 100 grams of shabu worth P500,000 from the suspects before signaling other policemen in the area to confirm the sale. They then swooped in the residence where the two suspects were operating and subsequently recovered a kilo of suspected shabu.

The suspects, Jucelie Ann Santos and Edgar Osma, are currently detained at the Taguig City Police Station while cases for Sale and Possession of Illegal Drugs are being readied for filing in court.

“It is the local government’s standing policy to never tolerate any illegal activities, especially illegal drugs and the sydicates that peddle them within the city,” Mayor Lani said.

Just recently, the Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force arrested four suspected drug traffickers and seized around 4 kilos of shabu estimated at P12 million.

Moreover, the Taguig Station Anti-illegal Drugs (SAID) unit also arrested nine suspects in possession of 13 grams of shabu during another buy-bust operation in Old Lower Bicutan last week; while 12 suspects in possession of 30 grams of shabu were arrested last month in Maharlika Village.

Before Mayor Lani took over the helm in Taguig, the city had the bad reputation of being an illegal drugs “hot spot” mainly due to the extensive operations of syndicates that reached the point wherein shabu can be bought in sari-sari stores.

Also, due to intensified operations ordered by Mayor Lani, prominent members of the Tinga Drug Syndicate, which included Joana Tinga and Henry Tinga, were arrested in a raid in Barangay Sta. Ana.

Prior to this, the Taguig police arrested Elisa “Ely” Tinga, an alleged key member of the Tinga Drug Syndicate and the third most wanted in the police watchlist. ###