Payola downs drug pusher in Calamba

CEBU, Philippines - With a huge amount of protection money allegedly collected by the police every week, a suspected big time drug pusher in Barangay Calamba is said to have been financially drained.

Barangay Calamba Captain Victor Quijano yesterday divulged the alleged protection racket of some unscrupulous members of the police.

“Estorya lang na sa lugar apan ang ginikanan mismo ang ga-istorya nako mahitungod ana,” Quijano said.

The barangay official refused to divulge the name of the suspected drug pusher as well as the policemen who are receiving weekly “payola” from him. Quijano said because of the huge amount allocated for payola every week, the drug pusher reportedly owes the drug lord about P2 million resulting to the confiscation of his belongings.

The mother of the suspected drug pusher reportedly told him that her son has been depleted financially because some policemen are collecting at least P5,000 every week.  

The village chief lamented that a drug lord was arrested earlier by a police unit but was released after the arresting officers were allegedly given P150,000.

Chief inspector Romeo Santander, City Intelligence Branch chief, challenged Quijano to coordinate with them and divulge the names of the policemen involved in the alleged protection racket.

Santander said they will conduct an investigation as soon as they will have the names of those involved.

“It’s hard to pinpoint and mention the names and we cannot say nga tinuod gyud lisod maamong ang whole unit just because of few policemen,” he said. —