Chief Insp. Ricardo Alba, head of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, said this informationcame from suspected drug peddler Oniel Arandez y Bartocillo, 36, of Barangay Punta Tabuc here. 

Arandez was arrested, along with his companion Louie llena Diosana, 28, also of Punta Tabuc, during a raid on Arandez's house Sept. 23 by PAIDTF and 1st Capiz Mobile Group elements. 

The raid yielded two big plastic sachets of suspected shabu, a cal. .45 pistol with ammunition, a .38 cal. revolver, an air gun with portable oxygen tank, two Nokia cellphones, a P3,200 cash, disposable lighters, among others. 

Alba described arandez as a former gunrunner who recently made it big when he shifted to selling prohibited drugs, particularly shabu. 

Barangay Punta Tabuc and its adjacent barangay, the Railway, are known as haven of drug pushers and users in Rixas City, Alba said. 

In a separate raid on Llena's house, which is a few meters away from Arandez' house, operatives recovered two small plastic sachets containing suspected shabu residue, a tooter, crumpled aluminum foils, a 12-gauge shotgun and P14,805 cash. 

Alba said they had long monitored arandez drug activities and they were able to establish that he is a big-time dealer of shabu in Capiz and parts of Aklan, particularly Boracay Island in Malay town, and Iloilo. 

Drug and gun charges were filed against the suspects before the Roxas City Prosecutor's Office Sept. 24. 

The raids were also witnessed by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency based in Aklan who coordinated with the Capiz-based operatives, Punta Tabuc Barangay Captain Reynaldo Barrios and several members of the local media. 
 

Judge Juliana Azarraga of Branch 15 here said the guilt of the accused - former board member Alfonso Bediones, Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent for capiz Gerry T. Pagharion and The Capiz Times reporter Edward Basilonia - could no longer be proven beyong reasoonable doubt without the testimony and cooperation of the complainant, mayor Felipe Barredo of Panay town. Barredo also heads the Capiz League of Municipalities. 

Barredo sued the three over reports linking him to loteng, a "new gambling craze, in his municipality." 

The accusation was made by Bediones in a privilege speech during the session of the Capiz provincial board on July 8, 2000. 

In his privilege speech, Bediones did not identify barredo by name but merely mentioned the "powerful politician of Panay and how he has enriched himself by his illegal gambling activities." 

Bediones' privilege speech prompted Pagharion to write a news item titled "Politician behind loteng, says board member" which appeared in the Inquirer's July 15, 2000 issue. 

Basilonia, on the other hand, came up with a similar news item which appeared in the July 10-16 issue of the Capiz Times, a weekly newspaper. 

In filing the two libel cases, Barredo did not include in his complaint the Inquirer publisher and editors. He also spared the publisher and editor of the Capiz Times. 

Barredo, meanwhile, cited "humanitarian reason" for withdrawing the case, noting that Bediones is "presently suffering from an ailment which is serious in nature and in fact is undergoing chemotherapy." 

Bediones is said to be suffering from lung cancer that requires periodic treatment. 

Barredo also stated in his affidavit of desistance which he submitted to the Capiz Provincial Prosecutor's Office on Sept. 10 that he "realized that the news reports of Pagharion and Basilonia came about only due to the privilege speech of Bediones and may have in good faith named him as the person insinuated in the privilege speech du to the political scenario then. 

The mayor, in filing the case, then maintained that Bediones was clearly dictated by conyempt against him when the mayor allegedly berated and chastised his son, Dennis Bediones, then municipal planning officeer of Panay town, on May 2, 2000. The younger Bediones has since then resigned. 

Bediones, who was represented by counsel Alberto Deslate, wa snot present when Judge Azarraga dismissed the cases against him and the two reporters. Only Pagharion and Basilonia were present. 

After the arraignment of Basilonia and Pagharion during which the two entered the plea of  "not guilty," Judge Azarraga tackled the motion to dismiss presented by Capiz provincial assistant prosecutor Edwin Devano which was based on the affidavit of desistance executed by Barredo. 

Pagharion and Basilonia said they were thankful to the mayor for not asking from them any condition, like an apology, for dropping the case. 

The two reporters were represented by lawyer Albert Potato. 
 

The decision to suspend the said sessions that also serves as consultation dialogue with barangay folks, was done in the form of a resolution unanimously approved during the last Friday's regular session presided by acting Vice Governor Cezar Talabucon. 

Sponsored by board member Abel Martinez, the resolution in part said that the out-of-town sessions will be temporarily suspended beginning October due to the 20 percent IRA cut. 

The IRA is also the main source of the countrywide development fund of board members used to finance programs and projects needed and requested by residents of a certain barangay. 

martinez said projects requested by barangay folks coursed through their barangay officials cannot be funded due to the IRA cut and will just result to the embarrassment of SP members. 

It was however underscored by the SP members that the session in the barangays will be resumed once the IRA share in Capiz is restored. 

The next out-of-town session of the Capiz SP will be held in Barangay Katipunan, Tapaz on Sept. 27, 2002. 

The last time that the out-of-town session was temporarily suspended was during the holding of the barangay elections. It was resumed only last Sept. 13, 2002.