2 police ‘protectors’ of CL drug syndicate nabbed

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Police believe they have finally busted the "Soyangco drug syndicate" with the arrest of two policemen who were tagged as its protectors.

The two police officers — SPO1 Oscar Imperial, who used to be with the Narcotics Group but who had gone AWOL (absent without official leave), and PO3 Francisco Villaruz of Bataan’s 303rd Provincial Mobile Group — along with eight arrested civilians were presented to the media by Chief Superintendent Oscar Calderon, Central Luzon police director, yesterday.

Imperial was tagged as the protector of drug traders in Olongapo City.

"They are just two of the police scalawags we want to pin down. Our main concern now is to combat illegal drugs and we will spare no one, particularly those in the police force," said Calderon, who took over the regional police command only two weeks ago.

Imperial was nabbed while sniffing shabu with two civilians in Olongapo, while Villaruz, who had been under suspicion for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking in Bataan, was placed under arrest after he tested positive for drug use.

Calderon said the two policemen are now under detention after appropriate criminal and administrative charges were filed against them.

Senior Superintendent Sahiron Salim, Bataan police director, said the eight civilians were arrested for their alleged involvement in the Soyangco syndicate.

They were identified as Marlon Gatbunton, who was caught in possession of 30 grams of shabu, a caliber .45 pistol, a hand grenade, and 20 caliber .45 bullets; Carmelita Quintero and Fernando Santuyo, who yielded five grams of shabu each and a caliber .38 revolver; Rusty Urbano, with .6 grams of shabu; Raymundo Mendoza, with 2.5 grams; Romnick de la Cruz, with 16 sachets of either shabu or marijuana; Arturo Santuyo, with 4.6 grams of shabu; and Elpidio Cruz, with 12.1 grams.

Salim said their arrests were part of police operations against the Soyangco syndicate which operates in the towns of Mariveles, Pilar Hermosa, and Balanga City, all in Bataan.

He said the police, with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority, are still hunting down the leaders of two other drug syndicates. — With Ric Sapnu