PRO 7 Probes Possible Police Coddlers of Slain Suspected Cebu Big-time Drug Lord

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 will look into the possibility that there are police officers who protected suspected big-time drug lord Rowen “Yawa” Secretaria, who was killed along with two of his alleged underlings in a shootout with the police in Banacon islet of Getafe town, Bohol last Saturday dawn.

Chief Superintendent Patrocinio Comendador Jr., PRO 7 director, said an investigation is underway to determine why it took the police so long to capture Secretaria.

“We want to dig deeper to determine whether somebody is protecting them,” he said.

He said Banacon islet is only 15 to 20 minutes from the mainland Getafe.

Comendador also ordered the relief of Senior Inspector Marcelino Mejias as chief of Getafe Police Station for the latter’s failure to arrest Secretaria.

But Mejias said the suspected drug lord was elusive and moves from one place to another.

In 2013, PRO 7 served a search warrant against Secretaria and found PHP3 million worth of shabu.

Secretaria’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade grew big after he served a sentence for a robbery case.

He also allegedly distributed illegal drugs in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.

Comendador said they have no evidence that barangay officials of Ermita and Banacon had knowledge of Secretaria’s business.

Operatives from PRO 7 are tracking down the two brothers of Secretaria, one of whom has a pending arrest warrant for murder, because they are also engaged in illegal drug trade.

“They are level one drug pushers. They are actually among the top pushers or drug peddlers here in Cebu, Bohol and Central Visayas areas,” said Comendador. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS