Drug suspect surrenders; car found in Tejero

Traffic enforcers found several drug paraphernalia inside an abandoned black Isuzu pickup. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

A SUSPECTED big-time drug dealer surrendered while an abandoned vehicle that contained drug paraphernalia was impounded yesterday, just as President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to rejoin the war on drugs.

Chris Canlobo surrendered 27 days after he escaped from agents of the regional Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) during a drug bust in Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City.

Canlobo claimed that he surrendered because he was threatened by PDEA agents, an accusation denied by PDEA-7 director Yogi Filemon Ruiz.

“Kuyawan nata unsa’y mahitabo nato. Maong boluntaryo ta ni-surrender (I fear for my life. That is why I voluntary surrendered to the police),” Canlobo said.

Ruiz refuted Canlobo’s allegation that PDEA agents tried to extort money from him.

“(My personnel), kaila sila nako (they know me). I don’t tolerate those kinds of things. Ipasulti sa iyaha (Canlobo) kinsa na sila (Let Canlobo reveal the names of those whom he said had threatened him),” Ruiz said.

Canlobo, a brother of a police officer, is under CPPO custody since there is still no arrest warrant issued against him.

But Ruiz said they already filed a case against Canlobo when they caught his cohorts during last month’s operation.

Traffic enforcers found several drug paraphernalia inside an abandoned black Isuzu pickup. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Last Feb. 2, Canlobo’s wife Luz, and three suspected customers identified as Pepito Joson, Rey Suson and John Rey Suello were caught by PDEA agents.

Seized from the suspects were P12 million worth of suspected shabu.

Meanwhile, the police are looking for the owner of the black Isuzu D-Max pick up that was parked along Alviola Street in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City, right in front of one of the driveways.

The vehicle was impounded by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) at 6 a.m. yesterday.

Traffic supervisor Jerry Arthur Ranay said the vehicle was parked in the wrong area.

Ranay said an investigation is underway to identify the owner of the vehicle with a temporary plate number CN-5797.

Seen from its side window were tooters believed to be used in sniffing shabu.

Authorities have yet to open the vehicle that was brought to the CCTO impounding area at the South Road Properties.

CCTO and the Waterfront Police Station received a call from one of the residents of Tejero on the presence of the abandoned vehicle.

They went to the place and found the vehicle without a driver or owner.