Inmate as ‘drug leader’ in Metro Cebu?

Personnel of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) confiscated at least six kilos of suspected shabu from two high-value individuals (HVI) during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Fatima Homes, Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City this Monday morning October 5, 2020. CDN Digital Photo |  Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Cebu are now looking into reports that an inmate detained at the Cebu City Jail is a leader of a drug ring operating in Metro Cebu.

This developed after the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) conducted a buy-bust operation in Sitio Fatima Homes, Barangay Inaywan on Monday, October 5, 2020 wherein six kilograms of high-grade shabu worth P41 million were seized.

Police arrested Renante Cabije Tacatani, 39, and Reynaldo Siit Atillo, 47, who were considered high-valued targets (HVT) as they were tasked to repack the prohibited substances for local distribution.

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said Tacatani and Atillo’s arrest stemmed from a buy-bust operation earlier conducted in Barangay Talamban.

“This is a follow-up operation of a buy-bust we recently had in Barangay Talamban,” said Ferro in a mix of English and Cebuano.

READ MORE: Inayawan raid yields ‘high-grade’ shabu worth P41M

Ferro said both suspects pointed to a certain ‘Jao,’ an inmate at the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan, as their source of shabu, which they also claimed was brought abroad.

“Based on the investigation conducted, Tacatani, the main disposer, is the direct contact of ‘Jao’ who is a known ring leader of the illegal drugs activity in Metro Cebu,” he added.

This is not the first time inmates from the city jail were linked to the illicit drug trade.

Shortly before the operation in Inayawan, a former Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) was arrested in Barangay Mabolo last October 4.

The suspect, identified as Noel Oring, 32, also told investigators that he got his source of shabu from an inmate in the said penitentiary facility. However, police did not divulge the name of Oring’s connection at that time.

Signal jammers

Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, CCPO chief, said they are planning to mount more signal jamming devices in Cebu City Jail if it meant preventing inmates from involving illegal activities outside their cells.

“We had a meeting with the city jail warden, PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), and with the Regional Intelligence Division to come up with an action plan on how to address this transaction inside the jail,” said Ligan.

“And we have recommendations especially in putting up (more) signal jammers inside the jail. We will be communicating with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications) through a letter, requesting (their insights) on how to properly put up the signal jammers inside the city jail,” he added.

The CCPO official also said ‘extensive checking of personnel’ in the city jail will be implemented by the jail management to further minimize the detainees’ involvement outside.

/bmjo