BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Joeresty Coronica is approaching his first three months as the director of the Bacolod City Police Office but this young lieutenant colonel has already led territorial and special units of the BCPO on a roll who have been seizing meth supplies in the midst of the MassKara Festival.
Records of the BCPO showed that in less than a week since this weekend only, anti-drug operatives have nabbed seven suspected peddlers and have seized at least P16 million worth of suspected shabu as the city goes under a fiesta atmosphere with the Masskara Festival, which lasts until 27 October, that has become the heavy drawer of tourists.
The latest bust today, 17 October 2024, led to the highest single seizure involving one suspect after operatives seized at least a kilo of meth from Darrel Demafilez alias Marmar in Masindyahon, a community in Barangay 12.
Marmar, described by police jobless and a high value peddler, , had at least 12 plastic sachets containing shabu when City Drug Enforcement Unit operatives nabbed him in the bust led by unit head, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Benitez Jr.
Last weekend, the BCPO also seized at least P9.6 million in suspected shabu.