BY AARON RECUENCO
Despite the death of several notorious drug lords allegedly due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), some of the remaining survivors are reportedly still active in the illegal drugs distribution across the country.
Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the modus was disclosed anew after a drug operation in Cebu City on Sunday that led to the confiscation of some seven kilos of shabu.
Cascolan said that during the conduct of interrogation on one of the arrested drug couriers, it was found out that the drugs distribution was being supervised by a convicted drug lord at the NBP.
He identified him as Rustico ‘Dikoy’ Ygot, an arrested drug lord convicted in 2013.
“I have directed PDEG to coordinate closely with PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and BUCOR (Bureau of Corrections) to validate information of the alleged continued operation of illegal drugs activities by a convicted drug lord even while serving sentence inside prison,” said Cascolan in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday.
The drugs being supervised by Ygot for distribution reportedly came from San Carlos City. The illegal drugs seized have a street value of P47 million.
At least nine convicted drug lords reportedly died of COVID-19 inside the NBP in July this year.
Among them were Jaybee Sebastian, Pasig City shabu tiangge operator Amin Imam Boratong and Chinese drug lord Zhang Zhu Li.
All of those who allegedly died of COVID-19 were from Building 14 of the NBP, the detention facility of high-profile inmates.
The Department of Justice is currently conducting investigation on the deaths of the convicted lords amid allegations that they were deliberately killed.(Aaron Recuenco)
