P5.6M worth of shabu confiscated

More than a kilo of shabu was confiscated in a drug den resulting in the arrest of (right to left ) Jovenal Paayas, Eric Delos Nieves, Roy Viscayo, Elboy Alvez and Reymond Villamor. The illegal drugs were valued at P3.2 million. Meanwhile, in Talisay City, another drug operation resulted in the confiscation of P2.4 million worth of shabu from suspected drug dealer Amber Banto.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

In less than 24 hours, government operatives confiscated an estimated P5.6 million worth of shabu (methamphetamine) in two separate antidrug operations conducted in the cities of Cebu and Talisay.

At around 5 p.m. Thursday, P3.2 million worth of the illegal drugs were confiscated from five suspected drug peddlers and users arrested during a joint drug operation in a drug den at Sitio Kawayan in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City.

The operation was meant to go after a crime suspect out on bail, identified as Joshua Maningue Bucog alias “Brix,” and his cohorts.

However, the main target of the operation, Bucog, 25, was able to escape from the police dragnet and eluded arrest.

Bucog, considered to be a “high-value target” by police, has a pending case of frustrated murder and violation of RA 8294 or possession of unlicensed firearms. He was temporarily released on bail.

Central Visayas police director Chief Supt. Noli Taliño said that they will subject Bucog to a manhunt operation.

“If he won’t surrender, the manhunt operation will continue against him,” Taliño said.

Bucog’s alleged cohorts — identified as Eric Campo De los Nieves, 27; Elboy Lemoran Alvez, 21; Roy Gallardo Viscayno, 35; Raymond Llaguno Villamor, 23; and Jovenal Rodas Paayas, 43 — were arrested by operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (RAIDSOTG) of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), who conducted the raid.

Meanwhile, operatives of PDEA-7 arrested a 33-year-old suspected drug dealer in a buy-bust operation in Talisay City and seized P2.4 million worth of shabu inside the suspect’s van.

Amber Banto allegedly tried to escape when he noticed that he was dealing with an undercover agent, said PDEA-7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz.

Charges for violation of Republic Act 9765 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly for selling shabu, will be filed against Banto before the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office.

The offense is non-bailable.

When sought for comment, Banto denied the accusations.

“Igo ra ko nikuyog ni Talas. Wa ko kahibaw nga illegal diay to. (I just accompanied Talas. I didn’t know he was into something illegal),” he told reporters.

Banto’s companion, a certain Talas, evaded arrest.

Ruiz said they hatched the entrapment operation against Banto, a Maranao, after his name was mentioned by other drug suspects earlier arrested by PDEA-7.

On board a white van driven by Talas, Banto reportedly agreed to sell a pack of shabu to an undercover agent at past 3 p.m. on Friday.

As soon as the transaction was completed along the South Road Properties (SRP), PDEA-7 agents on board a vehicle arrived and blocked the suspects’ van.

The driver, however, rammed into the PDEA-7 vehicle.

The suspects then got off their van and ran away.

Banto was cornered at his residence in Barangay Biasong, Talisay City, after a 15-minute chase, while Talas managed to escape.

Ruiz said PDEA-7 is conducting a follow-up operation to arrest Talas.

A search on the suspects’ van netted several packs of shabu.

Over at the regional police headquarters, Taliño said government’s efforts to trace the source of these illegal drugs are still continuous.

Based on their initial investigation, underlings of drug lords get these illegal drugs and other contraband from a neighboring place which Taliño refused to name.

“As of now, we have not monitored any existing shabu laboratories in Central Visayas. Galing labas yung mga drugs na pumapasok sa atin (The drugs are coming from outside the region),” Taliño said.

Meanwhile, twelve people were arrested in a drug bust conducted by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) 7 at L. Flores Street in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, yesterday afternoon.

According to a CIDG report, the operation was launched to arrest 29-year-old Julius Cesare Ompad. However, when the operatives visited the alleged drug den of the suspect, they caught eleven other people namely Erwilito Makilang, Aliezer Avila, Jeffrey Iglesia, Loel Villamor, Jan Rusvil Genson, Ronald Allen Bacon, Bernaldo Parba, Basilio Baliongcas, Whiljun Laborde, Bryle Niño Abiera and Dionasel Dayonot using illegal drugs.

The suspects are now detained at the CIDG precinct pending the filing of charges.

Ompad refused interviews, hoping for his privacy to be respected.