Fraldine and Michael Canes. /Contributed Photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu, Philippines — The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) said a certain “Michael Canes” is among the 3,683 names found in their unified drugs watchlist since October 2018.
But Police Colonel Julian Entoma, MCPO director, said they did not focus on monitoring Michael Canes because they already captured “another Canes” back in 2012.
Entoma said the person they arrested in 2012 is Michael Canes’ father.
“Ang watchlist namo for Canes naapil ni October last year. Pero wa mi ni focus og monitor niya kay may nadakpan mi na Canes,” said Entoma.
(Canes has been in our watchlist since October 2018. But we did not focus on monitoring him because we captured another Canes then.)
The watchlist, said Entoma, is where the target list for operations is derived from, with names of those active in the illegal drugs trade.
“Sa watchlist mokuha mi sa target list nga mao ang subjects sa operation. (Ang) information nag tumbok nga sila aktibo sa illegal drugs. Pero kini nga Canes wa pa na namo ma-subject for operations,” said Entoma.
(From the watchlist, we obtain our target list, or the list of names who will be the subjects of our operations. The information pointed to them as ‘active’ in the illegal drug trade. But we have not made this Canes couple the subjects of our operations.)
Michael Canes and wife, Fraldine Kate Remayla Canes, were shot dead late Sunday night, April 14, 2019, at the corner of the intersection of S.B. Cabahug Street and A.C. Cortes Avenue in Barangay Ibabao.
Police said the double killings were drug related.
But the family of the couple said they are not part of the illegal drug trade because they are supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte’s War On Drugs.
READ MORE: Family of Canes couple are Duterte supporters
Entoma said the 3,683 names found in their drug watch list does not include newly-identified persons caught in separate anti-drugs operations.
The watch list includes names of those who were linked to the illegal drugtrade, which ranges from users to pushers, including drug surrenderees.
The MCPO previously said the Canes couple had direct links to Jocelyn Encila, who is dubbed as “drug queen. ”
Encila was arrested on March 3, 2019, after she was caught with 10 kilos of suspected shabu, with an estimate worth of P68 million in Consolacion.
The couple was reportedly included in the drug matrix and were addressed as “Bossing” and “Madame.”
Police said the couple served as transporters of illegal drugs by the Rustico Ygot drug group.
Asked for a copy of the drug matrix, Entoma said he cannot disclose it because it is confidential and sensitive in nature. / celr