Authorities freeze property of alleged Kuratong member

CEBU, Philippines —  The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council have served the freeze order against the property of alleged members of Kuratong Baleleng Drug Group, spouses Artemio Salas and Daisy Salas, in a subdivision in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City yesterday.

PDEA-7 Director Wilkins Villanueva said that Daisy, the sister of late Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, along with her husband were allegedly the ones who laundered the income of the drug group.

Aside from Cebu, Villanueva said the couple also has acquired properties in Maasin in Southern Leyte and Ozamiz City which the group reportedly operates.

Artemio Baculi, subgroup head of Anti-Drug Trafficking Financial Crimes Investigation of AMLC, said they have frozen at least seven bank accounts and twelve motor vehicles and assorted firearms under the name of the couple.

"With regard to the bank accounts frozen, meron tayong na freeze na seven bank accounts, and also motor vehicles which is twelve motor vehicles. Then assorted firearms. Ito kasi is related to a drug trafficking. So that is the predicate crime that we use kaya natin na freeze ito," said Baculi, citing that the transactions amounting to millions.

"That is not commensurate with their source of income kasi ang sinabi nila na source of income lang nila is yung kanyang (Artemio Salas) sahod being a security officer ng Osamis. Yun lang po ang kanilang source of income. However, they managed to transact millions of pesos in their bank accounts. And they managed also to acquire these properties which is that is impossible," he added.

The estimated value of the property in Guadalupe, Cebu City is P5 million.

Artemio was a security officer at the mayor's office in Ozamiz City with a gross salary of P20,000 a month.

ALMC found out that he has at least six bank accounts in different banks with notable transactions, real properties, motor vehicles, and high-powered firearms.

Daisy, on the other hand, has no registered business but she has a bank account with notable transactions as well.

In the year 2017, both suspects were issued a search warrant wherein the operatives have recovered assorted firearms and explosives.

ALMC conducted a financial investigation of the couple due to their involvement in illegal drug transaction and their connection with the late mayor who led the Kuratong Baleleng Drug Group.

The family, the daughter of the couple, will temporarily stay in the house while waiting for the forfeiture.

"So kaning freeze order ani, mao ni ang pinaka dulo sa atong trabaho against drug syndicates. To bleed them with their own money. And later own after these freezing, ang next move nato is forfeiture of these properties," said Villanueva.

Villanueva added that this is the only property in Cebu so far they found to be under the name of the couple.

They will be also looking for the properties of the said couple which have already been transferred to other names.

Villanueva believed that the said property was used in the illegal drug trade stressing that they are working on identifying whether the couple still operates despite them being detained.

"Just to give premium kasi nga kining financial investigation nato is as important as arresting them kay i-bleed gyud nato sila sa ilahang mga kwarta para dili na papalit og droga unya dili na mabaligya pa ang droga. So we will bleed them with their own money," said Villanueva. — GMR (FREEMAN)