Measures to keep minors from being used in drug trade mulled

Four minors were rescued, three others were arressted and over P600,000 worth of suspected shabu (crystal meth )were seized in a joint operation last Saturday in Sitio Long Dream, Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City. Photo courtesy /PDEU CPPO

Measures to keep minors from being used in drug trade mulled PROACTIVE measures to prevent children from being involved in illegal drugs are now being worked out by the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena, Cebu Provincial Police Office director, said that they will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to come up with these measures amid the recent rescue of four minors during an anti-illegal drug operation in Sitio Long Dream, Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City on Saturday.

Abrugena said in a phone interview that they were doing this so that this incident involving children and drugs would not reach alarming levels.

“The PNP (Philippine National Police) cannot claim that these (cases of kids involved in illegal drugs) have reached an alarming level. However, we will coordinate, particularly, with Talisay cops, with the city’s social welfare and development (office), the soonest to make proactive measures to arrest this problem of youths engaging illegal drugs,” he said.

Abrugena said that he already directed the Talisay Police office to find ways to solve the problem of minors being used in the illegal drug trade.

He stressed the importance of implementing the curfew for minors so that children will be taken off the streets especially during late evenings and ensure that they are home with their parents.

Abrugena’s action was prompted by the drug operation in Sitio Long Dream last Saturday (Nov. 12) where four minors whose ages range from 15 to 17 were caught together with three men during a drug buy-bust operation conducted by CPPO’s Intelligence

Branch, and Drug Enforcement Unit led by Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos.

The anti-illegal drug operation also yielded illegal drugs specifically suspected shabu with an estimated value of P650,000.

Those arrested were Leo Cortes, 25, of Barangay Biasong, Talisay City; Margeline Labay, 20, and James Radana, 24.

They are detained at the Talisay City Jail pending the filing of charges.

Batobalonos said that the minors allegedly admitted using illegal drugs and were allegedly used as drug runners or those who asked to buy illegal drugs in the area.

He said that the minors were already turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Talisay City.

He also said that the DSWD would assess if the minors acted with discernment, which would be the basis for the filing of cases against them.