A 43-year-old resident of Iloilo Province was arrested at a port in the Province of Oriental Mindoro for over P800 million suspected shabu.

Christopher Malco, a resident of Barangay Balabag in Pavia town, was nabbed for illegal drugs worth a total of P816 million at the port of Calapan City on March 21, 2025.

The seized illegal drugs reached 120 packs found in the car driven by the suspect.

According to the daughter of the suspect, alias “Tina,” her father last came home in Iloilo in July 2024 when her grandfather died.

Tina said she has no idea on her father’s activities.

“Parang hindi kapani-paniwala na sa kanya iyon,” Tina said.

The suspect’s sister, alias “Pangga,” averred. She said she is surprised to learn of her brother’s arrest.

“Parang hindi kapani-paniwala. Ang Diyos lang ang nakakaalam kung ano ang nakabubuti para sa kanya,” Pangga said.

It was learned that Malco is a native of Barangay Pulo Maestra Vita in Oton town, Iloilo. However, it has been about 10 years already since he moved out and settled in Pavia.

The suspect has no derogatory records reportedly in the two barangays.

“Wala siya sa ‘tokhang’ surrenderee namin, sir. Out of 32, wala siya sa aming list,” said Anthony John Alunan, a councilman of Barangay Pulo Maestra Vita.

As for Helen Maquiling, chairman of Barangay Balabag, she is not familiar with Malco.  

“Wala kaming monitoring sa kanya, wala talaga kaming na-record sa kanya kasi hindi nga ako familiar sa mukha niya,” Maquiling said.

However, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 said that Malco is in the drug watchlist.

He has been investigated for either being a distributor or a courier.

“With the volume na kanyang hinawakan noong inaresto siya, maituturing natin siyang high value individual,” said PRO 6 Director, Brigadier General Jack Wanky.

Further, PRO 6 was not able to establish whether the illegal drugs were supposed to be taken to Panay Island.

Wanky said it is possible that the region is just a transit area.

The authorities have no information yet on whether a drug lord is operating in Western Visayas.

Based on a statement released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6, as of this writing, they are verifying on whether Iloilo Province is the destination of the confiscated drug items.