After Abu Sayyaf plans to carry out terrorist activities, evade arrest and even get a decent meal in Bohol were repeatedly foiled by vigilant residents, another tipster aided the government in its battle against criminality and security threats.
According to Clarin police chief Sr. Insp. Fernando Peroramas, it was a “concerned citizen” who prompted police operatives to set up the anti-drug operation which led to the seizure of shabu worth P18 million on Saturday.
Although the tipster’s motives were unclear, the information relayed to police resulted in the confiscation of the largest drug haul during a single operation in Bohol since the Duterte administration launched its war against illegal drugs in July last year.
“This has been the largest amount of drugs confiscated in Clarin so far, maybe even including the entire province,“ said Peroramas.
The informant reportedly called the Clarin police on Saturday morning notifying them that drugs were being delivered to suspect Teofilo Tampus, a resident of Barangay Nahawan of said town.
“I received a tip from a concerned citizen that a drug drop was being made but the tip did not indicate the amount of the shabu,” he said. “We decided to conduct a buy-bust operation and I was surprised by the amount of drugs recovered.”
Peroramas denied reports that Clarin police operatives carried out the buy-bust operation based on information given by Tampus’ son, Jonathan, who was also arrested for drugs.
“We didn’t even know that his son was arrested in Loon until after his [Fernando] apprehension,” Peroramas added.
Jonathan Tampus along with his live-in partner was collared by police authorities at a security checkpoint in Loon on Friday last week.
He was allegedly caught in possession of 50 grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P590,000.
According to Peroramas, both Jonathan and Teofilo expanded their illegal drug operations when President Duterte suspended the Philippine National Police’s anti-drug campaign for a month starting the end of January this year.
“After we noticed that their transactions started growing, we applied for a search warrant but until now we haven’t been able to get it as the clerk of court said that we lack documents which they need,” he said.
The police chief noted that Barangay Nahawan where the Tampuses live and Barangay Bacani are the town’s ”most drug-affected” villages.
Peroramas however also said that six villages in the town were already declared drug-free.
Last month, four Abu Sayyaf militants were killed by government troops in Clarin after a resident of the town reported to authorities the first sighting of the bandits since the initial clash in Inabanga on April 11.
The encounter in Inabanga which alerted the entire province of the bandits’ entry into Bohol and the arrest of one Abu Sayyaf fighter in Tubigon were also results of tips provided by residents.