Mayor Ricky Ramirez (CDN FILE PHOTO)
SOMEWHERE in the municipality of Medellin, northern Cebu, is a bustling illegal drug trade that has thrived allegedly because village officials have turned a blind eye to the big time operations of drug dealers, said town Mayor Ricardo Ramirez.
According to Ramirez, Barangay Lamintak Norte has been home to one of the biggest drug operations in northern Cebu, supplying shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to neighboring northern municipalities like Bogo, Daanbantayan and San Remegio.
“Ang Lamintak Norte mao nay palitanan sa tibuok Norte, sikat kaayo na sa Bogo (Lamintak Norte is where the whole of the North buys illegal drugs). The place is very famous in Bogo,” he said.
Ramirez added he had long warned the Philippine National Police (PNP) and even the Philippine Army about the operation of crime bosses in the area and the protection that they seemingly enjoy from certain local officials. (CDN is withholding the names of these officials as they could not be reached for comment last night)
Just last Thursday, elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7) seized 1.3 kilos of shabu valued at P15 million in a raid in Barangay Lamintak Norte, considered to be the biggest drug haul by police this year in Cebu. No arrests were made after the subject of the warrant, a certain John Niel Cabatingan, eluded police.
Earlier in the week, a team from the Provincial Intelligence Branch also raided the house of a certain Ariel “Aying” Ortega, still in Barangay Lamintak Norte, and seized 600 small packets of shabu valued at P1.4 million. A drug suspect was killed in a shootout that ensued and other cohorts were arrested in that raid.
Ramirez blamed officials in the village for allegedly doing nothing to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in their area.
Meanwhile, CIDG-7 chief Senor Supt. Marlon Tayaba believed that Cabatingan and Ortega might have gotten their shabu supplies from one source.
The police unit is also verifying reports from the mayor that Cabatingan enjoys the protection of a village official who is allegedly related to the suspect.
“The last information we got was that he is being protected by a certain barangay councilor doon sa area nila, and when we managed to survey the house of that particular barangay councilor, nag-negative naman (The last report we got was that he is being protected by a certain barangay councilor in their area and when we managed to survey the house of that particular barangay councilor, it turned out negative), “ Tayaba said.
Although the involvement of village leaders could not yet be established, Ramirez lashed at barangay officials for allegedly allowing the trade to proliferate under their noses.
Ramirez cited complaints from residents of Lamintak Norte that they could not sleep at night because vehicles would freely come in and out of the barangay to buy shabu.
“They must be investigated and sanctioned,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez said Lamintak Norte has become the favorite destination of drug users in northern Cebu. Based on estimates, he said, the people involved in the illegal drug trade in Lamintak Norte could earn as much as P1-million a day.