‘Fortress of illegal drugs’

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

WESTERN Visayas’ top cop could only shake his head when he saw the reportedly notorious hub of illegal drug operations at Brgy. Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

C/Supt. Cipriano E. Querol Jr., Police Regional Office (PRO-6) director, went to Bakhaw Sunday morning to check on the installation of Task Force Bakhaw deployed to curb the illegal drug problem in the village.

Querol also led a dialogue with officials and residents of Bakhaw to explain the presence of the task force and to solicit their support.

While waiting for the residents to arrive at the village’s basketball court, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Paul Ledesma “toured” Querol to the home of a suspected drug lord in Bakhaw, Richard Prevendido.

The area was surrounded by bamboo fences 6-7 feet tall and can only be accessed by narrow alleyways more or less 1 meter wide.

Querol also noticed a “mansion” in the middle of shanties, believed to be the house of Prevendido. The mansion sits beside a creek and enclosed by bamboo fences.

In one of the gates, Ledesma pointed to a slot where illegal drugs and money allegedly changing hands.

No one answered when Ledesma tried to call the residents of the mansion and the shanties.

“Based on the structures we have seen, they have built a fortress of drug dens. It’s like a camp of drug lairs or drug dens. The fences are very high and it’s really hard to penetrate the area unless we will get the support of the community,” Querol said.

LUKEWARM AND AFRAID

Querol also sensed fear among the residents of Bakhaw when he visited the area.

“They are cordial but lukewarm. There is not much support. I sense there is fear in them. They are hiding something because of that fear,” he said.

That fear may have been manifested by the residents’ lackadaisical attitude to the dialogue held at the barangay’s covered gym.

The dialogue between the PNP, PDEA and Bakhaw folks was supposed to start around 8am but it was not until 9am that a handful of people were seated in the gym after some prodding by barangay officials.

Only two women also stood up during the dialogue to express support for the police and PDEA in curbing illegal drugs in the village.

Querol explained to the residents that their purpose is to erase the impression that Bakhaw is the illegal drugs haven of Iloilo City.

“Bakhaw has a problem but let us give the village a chance to be peaceful and progressive. Everything starts in the barangay and we hope that you will trust and help the police so we can deliver the services you need,” he said.