Mute habal-habal driver, 5 others nabbed inside Cebu City drug den

At least six individuals were arrested inside a drug den in Sitio Plastikan, Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City on Friday morning, September 10. | Photo courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) dismantled another drug den on Friday morning, September 10, which resulted in the arrest of at least six individuals including a mute habal-habal driver in Sitio Plastikan, Barangay Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City.

Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson, said that PDEA operatives also confiscated around 12 grams of ‘shabu’ with an estimated market value of P81,600 and five sachets with traces of suspected shabu from a house used as a drug den by maintainer Liza Antipuesto, 41, jobless.

It was the 27th drug den dismantled by the agency since January this year.

Those who were caught inside the drug den were identified as Rolando Trazona, vendor, 43; Earlito A. Esguerra, garbage collector, 43; Christopher Sales, garbage collector, 46; Victor Antipuesto, jobless, 45; and Raul Empacis (mute, habal-habal driver).

The suspects were mostly residents of the area.

Alcantara said that it took a least three weeks of case build-up before the operation was conducted against Antipuesto who authorities believed could dispose of at least 15 grams of ‘shabu’ daily.

Alcantara said that tactical interrogations are being conducted to determine the possible source of the confiscated drugs. The suspects are now detained at PDEA-7’s detention facility in Sudlon, Lahug.

Drug dens in Central Visayas

In just eight months, PDEA-7 has dismantled 27 drug dens in Central Visayas including 21 in Cebu City. The other drug dens that the agency dismantled were located in Dumaguete (3), Talisay City (1), Liloan (1), and Sibulan (1).

From January to August in 2019, PDEA-7 dismantled 48 drug dens in the region while in 2020, at the height of the pandemic where mobility is limited, 26 drug dens were destroyed for the same period.

Despite the pandemic, Alcantara said that their intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign will continue.

Alcantara said that the dismantling of drug dens is the focal point of their campaign since these are breeding grounds for criminality.

Alcantara said that dismantled drug dens will be continuously monitored since there is a possibility that these will be reused.

She said that they are now coordinating with the barangays to make sure that the drug dens will no longer be operational.

Also, drug personalities will be discouraged from going back to these drug dens since these are already marked as spots for drugs.

Alcantara added that the community plays a vital role in monitoring the drug dens, and in ensuring that they will never be used again for nefarious activities.    /rcg

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