14 individuals are arrested after operatives of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU-7) conducted a buy-bust operation in barangay Duljo Fatima on Saturday night, May 29, 2021. | contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Fourteen individuals were apprehended in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU-7) in Sitio San Pedro, Barangay Duljo-Fatima here on Saturday night, May 29, 2021.
Police Major Philip John Libres, the team leader of the operation, said the subject of the operation was 49-year-old Val Cabusas, who police tagged as a high-value individual capable of disposing around 100 grams of ‘shabu’ per week and was known for doing illegal transactions in their village with customers coming from towns around Cebu province.
Police were surprised to find 13 more individuals who they believed were in the middle of a “pot session” when they moved to arrest Cabusas inside an abandoned house.
“Paghuman og hatag sa bali’g 200 nga item, nisud ni siya og mura ni’g abandon nga balay. Gisundan namo. Pag sunod namo, didto mi nabulaga nga naay daghan kaayo nga murag nangaon ba, nanuyop, nag pot session,” Libres said.
(When he gave the 200 worth of item, he went inside a house that seemed abandoned. We followed him. When we followed him inside, there we found more who seemed like they were eating, or having a pot session.)
Police found out that among those caught were residents of Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Naga City, Dalaguete town, Compostela, and different barangays (villages) in Cebu City.
Apart from Cabusas, the others arrested were identified by police as Olipio Aton, 52, Evelyn Amaro, 39, and Joram Yong, 37, who were residents of Barangay Duljo Fatima; Jonabel Villanueva, 43, of Barangay Mambaling; Vergelio Sanchez, 56, of Barangay Sambag 1; Joy Narvasa, 30, of Mandaue City; Manuel Tapang, 36, of Naga City; Ricardo Servellita, 34, of San Fernado town; Joel Bernardo, 28, of Compostela; Jeffrey Agoncillo, 26, of Lapu-Lapu City; and a certain Kyle Terom 23.
Libres added that from their two-week monitoring, they were able to confiscate at least 67 small sachets of suspected ‘shabu’, three medium-sized sachets of ‘shabu’, and drug paraphernalia. The said illegal items weighed around 22.68 grams with a Dangerous Drugs Board Value of P154, 224.
Police said those caught in the abandoned house did not resist arrests. Libres said that they are currently checking if these individuals were involved in previous drug charges.
As of this posting, these 14 arrested individuals are detained at the detention facility of the RPDEU-7 while awaiting for the filing of appropriate charges.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, said that they will continue their intensified illegal drug operations in the entire region.
“Bisag unsaon nato’g paningkamot og storya sa atoang mga kaigsuonan, naa gyuy gahig-ulo. Naa sa’y gusto mo take advantage. Kung napansin nnyo, kilo-kilo gani atoang mga nakuha…maayo na kay bisan sa usa ka gramo lang, daghan na og mga kabataan ug kaigsuonan nato nga mabiktima, maguba ang kaugalingon, panlawas, kaugmaon, ug ilang pamilya,” Montejo said.
(No matter our efforts in reminding our brothers [about the danger of illegal drugs], there are those who are really hard-headed. There are also some who want to take advantage. If you notice, we confiscated by the kilos…that’s good because even just one gram can victimize the youth, can destroy one’s self, one’s health, one’s future and one’s family.)
/bmjo
READ MORE:
7 drug suspects arrested in another drug den raid in Cebu City
Former amateur boxer, six others arrested for drugs in Kasambagan