BACOLOD CITY — The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) thwarted an attempt to distribute illegal drugs during the Sinulog Festival in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, after arresting two high-value drug personalities and seizing PHP 8.84 million worth of suspected shabu in Barangay Mandalagan here recently.
Operatives of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) conducted their third buy-bust operation this year, leading to the arrest of “Tata,” 53, a resident of Barangay Mandalagan, and his companion “Anthony,” 45, of Kabankalan City.
Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Col. Joeresty Coronica, said the operation was the result of six weeks of intelligence gathering.
Coronica said information received by the CDEU indicated the suspects allegedly operated in Kabankalan City, Himamaylan City, La Carlota City, Cauayan and Binalbagan towns, and Barangays Bata and Mandalagan in Bacolod.
He said police believe the seized suspected shabu was intended for distribution during Kabankalan City’s festival and likely originated from Mindanao.
“This remains a challenge for us because illegal drugs have become a source of livelihood for many individuals, and this contributes to criminality,” Coronica said.
Despite continuous arrests, he added that illegal drugs persist, prompting police to further strengthen anti-drug campaigns to prevent crimes not only locally but nationwide.
Police Lt. Richard Legada, assistant chief of the CDEU, identified Tata as a top-priority drug personality in the region and the No. 1 target-listed drug personality in Kabankalan City.
Tata was previously arrested for a drug offense in 2015 and was released in 2022, Legada said.
Legada said authorities are also verifying whether Anthony was formerly part of a drug group operating in the province’s fifth and sixth districts.
Anthony was arrested for a drug-related offense in 2021 and was released in October 2025, Legada said.
Both suspects were listed by the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council in Kabankalan City and are detained at Police Station 3 in Bacolod.
Police said the alleged leader of the drug group was arrested in Kabankalan City in 2022, but remnants of the group continue to operate in various parts of the province, including Bacolod.
The CDEU said there is no existing organized drug syndicate in the province.
The unit said most drug personalities have been arrested, but some re-engage in illegal drug activity or are replaced to keep the trade going.
The PRO-NIR said the operation weakened drug supply lines and criminal networks, preventing illegal substances from reaching festival-goers and helping ensure a safe, peaceful and drug-free Sinulog celebration.
Sinulog is held in January in many communities as a religious and cultural celebration honoring the Santo Niño, drawing large crowds that authorities say can be vulnerable to illegal drug distribution.
Meanwhile, police also arrested a 57-year-old man and seized 60 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP 408,000 in Purok Malinong, Barangay Miranda, Pontevedra town, on Jan. 8. (Glazyl Jopson via tdg)