PDEA, cops nab 9 drug personalities, seize guns, shabu in North Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY– Anti-drug operatives and police personnel from Central Mindanao region nabbed four high-value drug personalities during the surprise raids in two separate villages in Kabacan, North Cotabato, on Thursday. Senior Inspector Ronnie Cordero, chief of the Kabacan municipal police station, identified these targets as Jemuel Magoncia Edgardo Bacana and two of his sons identified as Morfi and Mylex, all residents of Poblacion, Kabacan. Cordero described them as ‘local’ drug lords. Also arrested during the search operations were Mae Aiza Guerrero, Magoncia’s live-in partner Ruel Iyas Perla Guerrero Toto Damanan and Mary Grace Guerrero. Recovered during the operations were at least 10 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, with estimated street value of P75 thousand eight assorted firearms and ammunition and five carnapped motorcycles. Cordero, on Friday, led the filing of several complaints against the suspects. These included violation of Sections 5, 6, and 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for maintaining a drug den in Poblacion, Kabacan. Also, the suspects face violation of the Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition for keeping unlicensed guns and violation of Republic Act 6539 of the Anti-Carnapping Law for hiding stolen motorcycles in their hideouts. Kabacan town, according to Cordero, still remains a transshipment point of shabu coming from Cotabato City and Maguindanao, as there are no shabu laboratories in the area. The search operations last Thursday came two weeks after authorities raided a suspected drug den along Purok Krislam in Poblacion in Kabacan where they apprehended at least 10 high-value targets and shabu whose street value amounted to P1 million.