Murder, drug charges readied against suspects arrested in hotel raid

POLICE are now preparing charges of murder and possession of illegal drugs for filing against an alleged hired killer arrested during a drug operation inside Prince Court Hotel and Suites in Mabolo, Cebu City.

According to Insp. Jackman Aton, chief of the Mabolo police, they are collating the documents and evidence against Dick Mapalo and 13 other drug suspects also arrested during the raid.

“Hopefully by Monday, makiha na silang tanan. Kay ubay-ubay man ni silang atong nadakpan,” Aton said.

(Hopefully by Monday, we will be able to file the charges against these suspects because there are quite a number of them.)

The Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Mabolo police raided five rooms in Prince Court last Thursday and caught the 14 suspects either repacking or sniffing shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride).

The operatives confiscated 80 grams of shabu with an estimated value of at least P500,000.

Charges of violation of Section 5, 11 and 12 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act (selling, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia) will be filed against them, and another charge of murder against Mapalo who is the suspect of killing a police asset, a certain Eduard Carza, who was shot early morning of May 14 outside a motel in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City.

Aton said Mapalo has been selling drugs in Barangays Tejero and Mabolo and is considered a high-value target.

Meanwhile, Aton said they still have to invite the management of Prince Court for questioning. For now, the hotel is not yet directly linked to the investigation.

“Dili ta maka directly involve nila kay ang hotel man gud everybody makasulod basta bayad lang ta pero next week amo silang adtoon. Mangutana tag mga informations,” Aton said.

(We cannot directly involve them because anybody can enter so long as you pay. But next week, we will go to the hotel and ask from them information.)

Hotel management promised that they will cooperate with the police during the investigation.