Mayor detained in his town's PNP lock-up cell

KORONADAL CITY – A town mayor in South Cotabato arrested for possession of bullets
and rifle grenade is now detained at local police lock-up cell while waiting for
resolution of his petition to post bail.

Mayor Albert
Palencia of Banga, South Cotabato has been inside his town’s police detention
facility after he was transferred to Banga from Gen. Santos City where he was
processed by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

I hope I can
post bail today so I will be out while the case is pending in court, said Palencia
who was accused of being a drug lord and gambling lord, an allegation he
vehemently denied.

Agents of the
PNP-12 Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) on
Thursday raided the house of Palencia based on 18 search warrants issued by a
local court.

Police seized
four bullets for cal. 380 from Palencia’s house and a rifle grenade from his
piggery in Barangay Punong Grande, Banga, South Cotabato.

Police said Palencia
was the No. 3 in President Duterte’s second batch of narco list.

Speaking to DXOM-AM Radyo Bida Koronadal, Palencia
denied he owned the bullets and the rifle grenade but he said he will abide by
the processes the police are applying on him, including being detained in his
town’s police lock-up cell.

I have never
been involved in illegal drugs, our town employees for the past four years know
that pretty well... I am supportive of the anti-drug campaign of the
government, Palencia, who owns six luxury cars the police also searched in
yesterday’s raid.

Aside from his
home and piggery, the police also searched his cars, including a US-made Dodge Ram
pick-up car and a Hummer vehicle.

But no drugs
were found.

The raid also
clears my name, the police found no drugs in my house and that erased
intelligence information that I am a drug lord and that I maintain a drug
laboratory, he told reporters.

I understand
the police in carrying out their jobs...its better they have proven that I was
not into drug because they got nothing or any drug in my house, he added.

Palencia said
the raid was in order, his rights were not violated and it was done in the
presence of local TV networks.

The glass main
door of his home was broken and the CCTV camera was destroyed by raiding team.

I assured the
police that I will not run away, I did not hide or evade arrest because I know
I am not a drug lord or a gambling lord, Palencia said.

South Cotabato
Gov. Daisy Fuentes said the raid on Palencia’s house was expected.

I told him his name
has been floating in the narcolist, I ask him to surrender but he refused
saying he was not hiding anything, Fuentes added.