National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – Bohol chief Atty. Renan Augustus Oliva on Monday said that there is a strong possibility that there other ecstasy dealers in the province, following the arrest of a son of the Tagbilaran City administrator for alleged sale and possession of dangerous party drugs.
According to Oliva, there could be more ecstasy dealers in the province given that party drugs reaching Bohol are likely sourced from neighboring Cebu City which is “flooded” with ecstasy and other similar narcotics which are being traded by a syndicate.
“Possible g’yud na, duol ra kaayo ang Cebu. Gabaha gud sa Cebu, daghan kaayo ang ecstasy,” he said.
NBI Bohol has been getting numerous tips on the ecstasy trade in the province but they have been having trouble going after dealers who are highly cautious on who they sell to, said Oliva.
“Daghan mo hatag og info, naay Tagbilaran, naay Panglao pero ang problema ni’g palit nimo di ka baligyaan,” he added.
Follow-up investigations are already being conducted to trace other possible personalities selling ecstasy in Bohol to eradicate the trade of party drugs in the province.
Oliva said that ecstasy is much more potent than shabu, or methamphetamine, the most consumed and traded narcotic in the province.
“Hopefully ma-contain na nato, mas grabe, mas-potent na na drugs. Short time ang effect ana, immediate. Unlike sa shabu na taas,” said Oliva.
On Monday, Oliva said they confirmed that the two tablets sold by Eric John Borja, 26, the son of City Administrator Leonides Borja, to a poseur-buyer during a buy-bust operation at a hotel in Tagbilaran City on Saturday last week were brolamfetamine, which is “more deadly” than ecstasy.
Two other pieces of tablets which were allegedly found in Borja’s possession were positive for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or ecstasy.
According to Oliva, the operation was a result of a two-month surveillance on Borja by the NBI and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Oliva also denied speculations from the public that Borja was immediately released following his arrest. He confirmed that Borja was still detained at the NBI office in Bohol as of Monday.
Meanwhile, Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap assured that he will not meddle with Borja’s case and use his position to “influence” the results of the investigation.
“Rest assured, makasalig mo nga dili gyud gihapon nato gamiton ang atong position para maka impluwensiya sa resulta sa imbestigasyon,” Yap said in a statement.
He called on law enforcement agencies to beef up operations against narcotics particularly party drugs and on parents to closely monitor their children who are vulnerable to “peer pressure” and outside influences. (ad)