“PEDRO is Pedro. Juan is Juan .”
This is how the Philippine National Police (PNP) views the arrest of Kent Villavelez Galeos, nephew of Cebu Provincial Board Member Edsel Galeos.
Kent Galeos is a suspected drug dealer in southern Cebu — whom police described as a “new player” in the illegal drug trade.
On Saturday, Argao police investigator SPO2 Meliton Agadier said that the Board member or any member of his family could not be faulted for any violations committed by Kent who was arrested on Thursday evening for possession of 12 grams of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P141,600.
“Pedro is Pedro. Juan is Juan. We could not drag Board Member Galeos in his nephew’s case since he has no full control of the activities of the suspect,” said Agadier in an interview.
Argao police authorities came in defense of the Board member who, they say, has been very supportive in the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the police in their municipality.
“He (Board Member Galeos) should be against what his nephew did,” Agadier said.
CEBU DAILY NEWS tried to contact the Board member through the phone yesterday, but he did not answer calls.
Charges for possession of illegal drugs are set to be filed on Monday against Kent at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office after he was caught in possession of the illegal drugs.
Since the amount of shabu seized from Kent weighed over five grams, the offense is non-bailable.
Kent, who is currently detained at the Argao Police Station, refused to issue any statement regarding his arrest, said Agadier.
The arrested suspect is the son of Board Member Galeos’ older brother Alex.
Contrary to what was reported by CEBU DAILY NEWS on Saturday, Alex is still alive .
His son Kent surrendered to the Argao police last December during the implementation of the Duterte administration’s Oplan Tokhang, a campaign that involves police officers knocking on the door of drug suspects to convince them to stop their unlawful operations.
However, about a month after, Kent reportedly returned to his old ways and peddled illegal drugs, according to Agadier.
The police secured a search warrant from Judge Maximo Perez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 26 in Argao to search Kent’s house.
The warrant was implemented on Thursday which resulted in the arrest of Kent and the confiscation of the illegal drugs.
[Correction: Cebu Daily News found out that Kent Villavelez Galeos is not the son, but the nephew of Alexander Galeos. Our sincere apologies for themix-upp.]