Driver of Iloilo provincial gov't arrested with P7.8-M suspected shabu

A 51-year-old driver of the Iloilo provincial government was arrested with more than a kilo of suspected shabu worth almost P7.8 million.

The suspect was arrested during a buy-bust operation in Santa Barbara town on June 17, 2026.

The suspect, identified as a certain “Giovani,” allegedly sourced his supply of illegal drugs from Metro Manila and distributed the same to several towns in Iloilo.

The police classified him as high value individual in the illegal drug trade.

“He was a PNP-PDEA watchlisted. So nagsagawa kami transaksyon sa kanya ng limang gramo in consideration ng P13,000,” said Maj. Dadje Delima, head of the Iloilo Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU).

(He was on the Philippine National Police-Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency watchlist. So we arranged a transaction to buy five grams of shabu for P13,000.)

Based on information received by PDEU, the suspect worked as a truck driver of the provincial government.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. said the Capitol will continue to implement random drug tests among its employees.

“He will have to face the law and take responsibility,” he said. —Zen Quilantang-Sasa, GMA Regional TV News