BAJELOT INSISTS: COPS NOT PROTECTING CUADRA

BACOLOD City Police Director George Bajelot said he believes that some
personnel of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) are using illegal drugs.

This came after reports that some policemen in Western Visayas are being
tagged as protectors of the alleged drug lords.

But Bajelot insisted that Bacolod policemen are not into protecting alleged
drug lords in the region. He added that should there be any BCPO personnel
linked to the drug lords, they would be properly investigated.

He added that they are intensifying the campaign against illegal drugs in
the city.

Bajelot decried the statement of Senior Supt. Felix Muchada, deputy
regional director for administration that Bacolod policemen protect alleged
bigtime druglord Jose Cuadra.

He said the accusation "is too sweeping."

Bajelot said that no BCPO personnel is protecting Cuadra based on their
intelligence report.

He sent two Bacolod policemen to the police regional office in Iloilo City
to verify their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

PO2 Wilson Go and PO2 Harold Villagracia, he said, will be given due process.

He added that they will not be dismissed from the police service yet but
they will appear before the regional office to answer the allegation.

Villagracia is facing qualified theft charges for allegedly taking seized
shabu inside the city police Crime Laboratory. He was then restricted but
was later transferred to Police Station 7.

DEU Chief Insp. Jonathan Lorilla also questioned Go's background as his
brother was reportedly involved with the use of illegal drugs.