Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas director,(center) and Police Colonel Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office chief, (left) discuss their latest anti-illegal drug operation in a press briefing at the PRO-7 office on Monday, March 4. | Immae Lachica
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The P190.4 million or 28 kilos of shabu confiscated in the Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City and Barangay Casili, Consolacion town anti-illegal drug operations came from Manila through roro (roll-on roll-off) cargo-passenger vessel.
Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, said in a press briefing on Monday, March 4, that the 28 kilos of shabu were part of a 40 kilo shipment that was transported through a roro from Manila.
Sinas said after passing through the port, the drugs would first be delivered to Jocelyn Encila’s house in Consolacion town, then from there these would be distributed to one of their main market — Cebu.
“Gikan sa Manila gi roro nila, pa adto sa Consolacion, ngadto sa balay ni Jocelyn, una mo sud sa Cebu as one of their main market,” said Sinas as he described how the drugs entered Cebu.
Read more: P190M shabu recovered, four arrested in twin drug busts in Cebu City and Consolacion town
He said this was based on their assessment of their anti-illegal drug operations and from testimonies of those caught by the police.
He also said that the Inayawan-Consolacion drug suspects’ operations were monitored for several weeks so that they could properly carry out the anti-illegal drug operations.
Read more: Bilibid prisoner linked to the P190.4M-shabu busts runs Cebu drug ring via the internet
He also explained why despite the intensive police campaign against the illegal drug trade in Cebu, there were still people, who continued to sell illegal drugs.
“Actually, ako pud nangutana pud ko nganu maning mga tawhana ni nga sa kadaghan na sa among na dakpan, daghan na ang nabalita nasa prisohan, daghan nag namatay, di pud sila mangundang”, said Sinas.
But through the brainstorming of Sinas and the senior officers of the police in the region, they came out with this explanation.
“Kami lang pud ani mga senior officers nagbrainstorming, kahibalo ka ngano, business is business, as long as there is a good supply, then market and the profit is very high, (and) the demand is high,” he said.
He summed up the complexity of the drug problem with this statement.
“Kung di ko magbaligya og druga patay man ko kay walay makaon. Kung mamaligya ko og druga patay gihapon ko kung madakpan ko pero naa koy daghan na kwarta,” said Sinas, about the dilemma of some people on why they entered into the drug trade.
Despite their recent success, Sinas assured that they would continue and even intensify their illegal drug campaign.
He also said that they would also be working closely with the Anti-Money Laundering Council to deal with the properties of these arrested drug suspects.
He believed that the properties of these suspects were more likely ill-gotten wealth or acquired through their illegal drug business or used in the illegal drug operation.
In an earlier interview, Sinas said that they were studying on the process to turn over the properties allegedly owend by Jocelyn Encila, the drug suspect arrested in Consolacion town.
These included houses and lots, condominium unit, vehicles which included a Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Grandia.
He, however, said that these properties would be looked into if indeed Encila owned them and that these were used in her illegal activities.
If the ownership of these properties would not be proven that it was owned by the suspect, then they would be returned to the owners.
“Anyway that is documented, if di namo kaya i prove ibalik man to namo ba, its very documented including the cash”, said Sinas.