By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A MARIJUANA-smoking corpse. A 6-year-old pothead.

These lurid tales pertain to suspected drug pusher in Balasan, Iloilo who was arrested in a buy-bust operation the other day.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) along with the Balasan police and the Regional Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) conducted two buy-bust operations in the town Tuesday.

The first operation in Brgy. Camambugan led to the arrest of Jayvee Gabriel and Johnny Jovito.

The operatives confiscated from Gabriel three small sachets containing suspected shabu and mark money used in the buy-bust.

Paul Ledesma, PDEA regional chief, said they received reports that Gabriel made his 6-year-old grandson smoke marijuana and sniff shabu during their pot sessions.

Three years ago, Gabriel allegedly dug up the remains of a 1-year-old boy, dressed and propped him up his tomb and put a marijuana stick in the corpse’s lips.

Ledesma said the Balasan police confirmed the story on the pot-smoking corpse after the buy-bust operation.

“I felt disgusted when I heard the story. I could not believe that they could do such dastardly act,” Ledesma said in a phone interview.

Another buy-bust operation was conducted in Brgy. Poblacion Sur resulting in the arrest of Bobby de la Cruz, Reynaldo Pendon, John Lester Malata and Arman Diocos

De la Cruz was the subject of the operation while Pendon, Malata and Diocos were inside the De la Cruz’s house during the operation.

The team seizes two sachets of suspected marijuana and a small bag allegedly containing dried marijuana leaves.

The suspects are included in the PDEA watchlist of suspected drug peddlers and users in Iloilo.

Balasan is also the hometown of O’Henry Caspillo and Rolly Tiope whom the PDEA suspected as the top drug peddlers in northern Iloilo.

Caspillo and Tiope, collectively known as the Balasan Boys, became the subject of a congressional inquiry after the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutors Office dismissed the non-bailable charges against them. 

C/Insp. Ramir Gallardo, RAIDSOTF chief, said the suspects belong to the Balasan Boys group which operates in northern Iloilo.

The suspects underwent drug tests before charges for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were filed against them.