GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Police operatives arrested a fugitive former barangay chair in Maasim town in Sarangani Province who is in President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s “narco list.”
Chief Insp. Aldrin Gonzales, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said suspect Bonie Jialil Sultan, 30, was arrested by joint operatives at in Barangay Lumatil, Maasim town around 8 p.m. Tuesday.
He said the operation was led by elements from the PRO-12’s Regional Intelligence division, regional mobile force battalion, Maasim municipal police station, Sarangani police’s intelligence branch, provincial drug enforcement unit and provincial mobile force company.
The official said Sultan is a former chair of Barangay Lumatil and wanted for possession of explosives under Republic Act (RA) 9516 and possession of illegal drugs under RA 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
“He is included in our list of high value targets and ranked number one most wanted person in the municipal level,” he said.
Gonzales said a bail bond of P200,00 was set for the illegal drug charges and none was recommended for the possession of explosives.
Sultan was initially arrested by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in January 2016 following the recovery of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu during a raid at his home.
The suspect, who was then serving as barangay chair of Lumatil, was later released after posting bail.
In September that year, police seized several sachets of suspected shabu and a fragmentation grenade in another raid at his house.
Sultan eluded arrest and was later charged over the recovered shabu and grenade.
Gonzales said the operation was part of the PRO-12’s intensified campaign against
Suspects, violators and most wanted personalities in the region.
He added that it was also in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s “unrelenting war on drugs” and the Philippine National Police’s anti-criminality campaign.(AC/PNA)
