Ex-cop arrested in anti-drug operation admits involvement in the illegal trade

One down, more to go.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Cebu City has made good its threat to crackdown on police scalawags engaged in the illegal drug trade.

Armed with a search warrant, police operatives yesterday raided the house of PO1 Edwin Cabibil in Barangay Day-as, Cebu City, and found 16 sachets of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P82,000.

Cabibil, a 47-year-old former policeman assigned at the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) in Bohol, had gone on Awol or absent without official leave since 2001.

With Cabibil’s arrest, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Senior Supt. Joel Doria hoped to get numerous information on the ex-cop’s business operations, his contacts and customers.

“As much as possible, we want to get drug suspects alive so that we get to know their linkages,” Doria said.

“Mabuti na lang hindi siya lumaban. Otherwise, kasama sana siya sa mga statistics ng mga napapatay. (It’s a good thing that he didn’t put up a fight. Otherwise, he could have formed part of statistics of those killed),” Doria added.

According to Doria, Cabibil was among the top 10 “high-value targets” of CCPO for selling illegal drugs in downtown Cebu.

In a talk with Cebu Daily News, the suspect admitted to selling illegal drugs to feed his six children.

“Gusto lang nako mabuhi ang akong mga anak. (I just wanted my children to survive),” he said in an interview.

Over a the PNP regional headquarters, Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), declared that no one will be spared in government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Aside from Cabibil, Taliño said that there are still other policemen in the region who are linked to illegal drugs.

“The validation continues. I can’t tell you the number, but there are still policemen in Central Visayas who are involved in illegal drugs,” he said.

“There are scalawags. And if they remain to be hardheaded, then someday they will either be arrested or killed,” warned Taliño, a former head of the Special Action Force (SAF).

“Whether you are a policeman, ex-policeman or civilian, we will get you as long as you are into illegal drugs,” Taliño said.

There are more than 8,000 policemen in Central Visayas with about a hundred of them relieved from their posts and transferred to other regions for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Cabibil is now detained at the Parian Police Precinct pending the filing of charges against him.

Last August 3, a former policeman identified as PO1 Dave Agcol was killed in an alleged shootout with police operatives in Barangay Inayagan, Naga City, southern Cebu. His wife, also a police officer suspected of dealing drugs, was arrested immediately in that police operation.

September 8, PO3 Irmon Butil, an active police officer who allegedly peddled shabu was killed by anti-narcotics operatives in Panglao, Bohol when he allegedly engaged them in a shootout.