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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Negros Oriental reviewing border security following P40.8-M shabu seizure

Negros Oriental reviewing border security following P40.8-M shabu seizure

Published Jul 16, 2025 06:21 pm
PAO’S P40.8-million shabu stash. (Negros Oriental police)
PAO’S P40.8-million shabu stash. (Negros Oriental police)
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office is reevaluating its border security protocols following the seizure of suspected shabu valued at P40.8 million in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Santo Niño, San Jose town on Tuesday, July 15.
Police Lt. Stephen Polinar, Negros Oriental police spokesperson, said they are conducting a thorough review of current security protocols to understand how such a large volume of illegal drugs entered the province despite tightened border controls.
Authorities recovered around six kilos of illegal drugs from 36-year-old Pao of Barangay Camanjac, Dumaguete City.
“We’re still trying to determine how these substances continue to slip through our borders despite our intensified measures,” Polinar said.
While cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) remains harmonized, Polinar acknowledged challenges in monitoring some entry and exit points, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Nonetheless, he stressed that improved inter-agency coordination is key to strengthening border defenses.
Checkpoint inspections also face limitations, he said, as officers are restricted to visual searches, making it difficult to detect well-concealed contraband.
Polinar speculated the drugs came from outside the province and were likely dropped off in San Jose, as there are no known drug laboratories in the area.
Authorities are now working to trace the origin of the illegal shipment.
The suspect, who is reportedly unemployed, is undergoing further background checks.
Charges for sale and possession of illegal drugs were filed against Pao on Wednesday, July 16.
Police have since ramped up its anti-drug efforts across the province.

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