Gov. Arthur Yap lauds Bohol police provincial director Col. Joselito Clarito and the rest of the law enforcers for the huge drug bust resulting in the seizure of P3.7 million worth of suspected drugs on Wednesday, August 11, 2020 at around 11:30 in the morning at barangay Dao, Dauis, Bohol.

In a letter dated August 12, 2020, the governor said that he is pleased with the successful police operation of the men in uniform.The governor said, “The recent buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) at around 11:30 A.M. today in the town of Dauis under your command deserves commendation as another job well done.”

The governor added in his letter, “Your leadership first impressed me when in May, your team registered the biggest drug haul in Bohol history with the confiscation of six kilos of shabu with estimated value of around PhP40 million in two separate but simultaneous buy-bust operations.”

Yap continued in his letter, “Now, you impressed me again with another milestone in one of Bohol’s flagship agenda as I always emphasize that a province cannot proceed smoothly forward when continuously plagued by the drug menace.”

In the same letter, Yap said, “I am impressed that your team was able to corner one of the leaders of a local drug trafficking syndicate operating in the province of Bohol, a high-value target in fact, identified as Carlos Lamanilao a.k.a. ‘Cayo’, a 43-year-old native and resident of Purok-2 in barangay San Isidro, Municipality of San Miguel, based on the report reaching my office.”

“According to the report, the BPPO-PDEU confiscated more than half a kilo (550 grams) of shabu with DDB value of PhP3,740,000 from him,” the governor wrote in his letter.

“For this, what else can be said but congratulations to our Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit,” the letter reads.

The governor concluded his letter by writing, “Keep up the good work and continue protecting Bohol from the evil of illegal drugs. At least you and Bohol have contributed to the national government’s effort of ridding the nation of the drug menace.”

BACKGROUND

A composite team from the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) led by Capt. Gereon Item, together with members of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) 7, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Dauis police station conducted a buy bust operation on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

The operation led to the arrest of the suspect identified as Carlos Lamanilao, 43, a native of purok 2, barangay San Isidro, San Miguel town.

Police seized at least 20 plastic sachets of different sizes containing suspected shabu with an estimated weight of 550 grams and with a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P 3,470,000.

BOHOL DRUG SUPPLY COMES FROM CRBU

Clarito revealed that based on their investigation, a drug syndicate in Cebu is the one supplying drugs in Bohol.

He made the revelation during a press conference on Thursday, August 13, 2020, inside the Camp Francisco Dagohoy.

The press conference was attended by Central Visayas police regional director Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro. Ferro joined the press conference via an online teleconferencing. Ferro also lauded Clarito and the law enforcers involved in the anti-drug operation.

The Bohol police provincial director said the Cebu drug syndicate in turn gets its drug supply from drug syndicates based in Muntinlupa.

In the same press conference, Clarito said that the Bohol police are in the process of locating the warehouse here in Bohol being used by the local drug syndicate to store the contraband.

The provincial director said that Carlos Lamanilao, the drug suspect arrested in the P3.7 million drug bust in Dauis town, is allegedly one of the top leaders of the drug group operating in Bohol. 

Moreover, Clarito said that the police are now tracking other members of the drug group where allegedly Camanilao is one of the leaders.

Furthermore, he said that they are still determining the name of Lamanilao’s drug group. They are still tracing other members of the drug group.

The province’s top police official said that the drug supply here comes from outside the province and originating from the Golden Triangle drug syndicate in Myanmar. The drug supply from Myanmar is being transported by a transnational drug syndicate, particularly the Golden Triad drug syndicate in China. 

Clarito said that when the Philippine government clamped down on illegal drug trade, drug manufacturers in the country went abroad specifically to Myanmar and set up their drug factories there.

He revealed that Chinese drug traffickers are the leading facilitator of drug traffic in the country.