By Pearl Gumapos
Joint operating units of the Kalinga Police Provincial Office (PPO), Isabela PPO, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2), and 1503rd Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) on Sunday (June 28) intercepted a vehicle carrying large quantities of dry leaves suspected to be marijuana.
A grey Toyota Vios with plate number NDE 9548 was chased and apprehended in Bgy. Alunan, Quezon, Isabela last Sunday (June 27).
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said that Rizal Municipal Police Station (MPS) and Kalinga PPO received information that the persons in the vehicle bought marijuana leaves and stalks in Tabuk City, Kalinga.
The Rizal MPS police then proceeded to their quarantine control point where the said vehicle was seen approaching.
“Our local police signaled the driver to stop but [they] ignored the checkpoint and accelerated towards Abbut, Quezon, Isabela. Immediately, they conducted hot pursuit and informed PTOC Kalinga [Provincial Tactical Operation Center ] and [the] nearby MPS for a dragnet/chokepoint operation,” Eleazar said.
“At about 2:10 in the afternoon of June 27, 2021, joint personnel of PROCOR and PRO2 were able to arrest the suspects along Brgy. Alunan, Quezon, Isabela,” he said.
Eleazar identified the suspects as Jerwin Lipalam, 24; Jayson Pallares Tresmil, 24; Alvin Lampag Guiab, 20; and alias ‘Marco,’ 17.
Confiscated in the possession and control of the suspects were 10 pieces of marijuana dried leaves and stalks in brick form weighing 10 kilograms amounting to P1.2 million, the car they used, one .38 caliber revolver without a serial number, five live ammo of .38 caliber, one cellphone, one Sagada bag, and one sling bag.
“Our campaign against illegal drugs remains unrelenting as we implement the Intensified Cleanliness Policy of the PNP. We remain aggressive and are always on top of the situation to stop drug proliferation in the country,” Eleazar said. – jlo