What happens under the bridge? Police rescue five minors and arrest 13 individuals–including two rugby peddlers and 11 drug users–under the Mahiga bridge in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City on August 6, 2019. CDND PHOTO / Benjie Talisic
Cebu City, Philippines—Five minors were rescued and 13 other individuals were arrested in a joint operation conducted by Mabolo, Talamban and Guadalupe Police Stations in Barangay Banilad around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
Police arrested two peddlers of rugby during the operation.
Later, authorities chanced upon five minors and 11 other individuals under the bridge who were engaged in a “pot session”.
The operation was in line with the push of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to crackdown on the selling of the solvent and rescue minors who are using the inhalant.
Rugby is an inhalant that is sniffed by street children to suppress hunger.
READ: Police starts ‘rugby tokhang’ in Cebu City
READ: 21 minors rescued, 3 suspects arrested in CCPO “rugby tokhang” operation
Police Captain Dexter Basirgo, chief of Mabolo Police, said they were originally conducting a rescue operation for minors using rugby near Mahiga bridge when they saw people engaged in a pot session.
The operation was implemented after a concerned citizen brought to the police’s attention that transactions on the selling of rugby happen under the bridge.
Upon arrival in the area, Basirgo said they were able to apprehend two rugby peddlers.
One was identified as Sherwin Batiancila, 26, a resident of Almer’s Compound in Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.
Batiancela was with his live-in partner, Jomelyn Otacan Aroza, 30, originally from Barangay Kasambagan in Cebu City.
As they were arresting the couple, Basirgo said police conducted an inspection of the area.
He said they discovered a makeshift room under the bridge where 11 individuals and five minors were engaged in a pot session.
Police arrested the 11 individuals and brought them to Mabolo Police Station for profiling.
The five minors, on the other hand, were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. / celr