Authorities arrested a member of the Chinese drug triad and two of his colleagues on Wednesday afternoon in Laguna.
Samson Tan was first arrested in a buy-bust operation in Sta. Rosa City, where police seized P3.3 million worth of illegal drugs from him.
Police recovered laboratory apparatus, wrappers, piles of P20 cash, and suspected shabu from Tan’s house.
Adrian Alvariño, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) National Capital Region, said they conducted three-month surveillance on the suspects.
He added that Tan is known to be a member of a triad and has a dragon tattoo on his back that proves that he has a significant role in the syndicate.
According to Wilkins Villanueva, director-general of PDEA, Tan was previously convicted of drug abuse in 2008, transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in 2014, and was released after appealing to the Court of Appeals.
The suspects who are facing a violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act refused to give a statement.
A triad is a Chinese transnational organized crime syndicate based in Greater China and has outposts in various countries with significant overseas Chinese populations.
In September 2017, Presidential son Paolo Duterte, aged 42, appeared before a senate inquiry to deny accusations he was a member of a Chinese triad and helped smuggle a huge shipment of shabu from China.
Paolo acknowledged he has a tattoo on his back but refused to remove his shirt and show it during the hearing.
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Glan beach resorts reopened to tourists
Beach resorts in Glan town of Sarangani are being reopened to tourists.
Through the Executive Order Number 25, Series of 2020, Mayor Vivien Yap has allowed tourist destinations to open since June 1.
Residents of Sarangani Province and General Santos City are allowed to go to the beach resorts. There must also be a reservation or appointment before visiting the resorts.
The rules also include following physical distancing and wearing a face mask upon entering the resort.
Resorts can only accommodate 50 percent of its capacity.
Yap said they would try the system for two weeks before deciding whether to open the town to tourists from other provinces.
The town of Glan is known for its white-sand beaches. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.