Rosita Bragat, 64, was arrested during a buy-bust operation that netted P68,000 worth of shabu. She claimed policemen planted the drugs on her.
(CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
TWO persons were killed and five others were arrested in separate police anti-drug operations in Lapu-Lapu City and Danao City yesterday.
Suspected drug pushers Jobert Pelano and Arjun Sampan were the subjects of a buy-bust operation in Tabok, Poblacion, Danao City.
According to Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos of the Danao Police Station, when the two suspects sensed that they were dealing with the police, they tried to escape and ran inside a house.
Pursuing police operatives asked them to surrender but they were allegedly answered with gunfire.
The police entered the house and fired back, killing Pelano and Sampan.
Three persons inside the house identified as Rolly Amenton, Junie Valeroso and Charlie Lechavez who were allegedly having a pot session were also arrested.
According to the police chief, Pelano allegedly got his supply of shabu from a certain Omar Baguio, who was also killed early this week in a buy-bust operation.
The authorities were able to track the suspects through the cellphone of Baguio.
Sampan, on the other hand, was wanted for robbery by the Carmen police. Police confiscated two firearms and packets of suspected shabu during the operation.
In Lapu-Lapu City, two drug personalities, including a 64-year-old grandmother, were arrested by police in separate operations Wednesday night.
Rosita Bragat, a resident of Sacred Heart Village, Barangay Gun-ob, was arrested for possession of small packs of shabu amounting to at least P68,000 and P1,400 cash.
Bragat will be charged with violation of Sec. 5 (selling) and 11 (possession) Article II of RA 9165 known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Personnel from the City Intelligence Branch of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office said Bragat is top 6 on their list of high value targets.
The 64-year-old grandmother is now detained at the police office’s holding cell.
Senior Insp. Joey Bicoy, who led the operation, said they have been monitoring Bragat for more than a month after receiving information that she was into drug pushing but she evaded police operations.
On Wednesday night, police said a poseur buyer went to her Gun-ob residence about 7 p.m. and bought a small sachet of shabu from the suspect for P300.
After Bragat received the marked money, the police poseur immediately arrested her.
During the body search, police also found a bigger pack of shabu worth at least P68,000 and money in the amount of P1,400 from the suspect’s possession.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Bragat denied selling shabu and accused the police of planting all the evidences against her.
“Naglibod intawn ko og all-purpose cleaner isip akong panginabuhi-an. Nagtrabaho sab ko sa Gun-ob Barangay Hall sa Clean and Green. Giplantiran ra ko sa mga pulis anang shabu (I sell all-purpose cleaners for a living. I also work as clean and green worker at the Gun-ob Barangay Hall. The police merely planted the shabu on me),” said Bragat.
Bicoy said Bragat is a member of a drug syndicate operating in Lapu-Lapu City. The said syndicate would use pushers, minors and the elderly as drug couriers to mislead the police.
Shortly after Bragat’s arrest, police also collared Demski Pepito of Purok Caimito in Barangay Canjulao. Pepito, 18, also allegedly sold shabu to police poseur buyer.
Pepito was caught with thirteen (13) small sachets of suspected shabu worth P7,000.
Meanwhile, a man was shot dead by an unidentified person while dining with his family in Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City yesterday.
A masked man entered their house and fired at John Hope Corbo in front of his wife and two children at around 8 p.m. then fled on board a motorcycle.
The suspect remains at large.