Five individuals were arrested when operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas conducted a buy-bust operation in Sitio Tugas in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, on Friday afternoon, Jan. 6. | PDEA-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) shut down a suspected drug den in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City on Friday afternoon, Jan. 6.
PDEA-7 agents also arrested five individuals including the alleged suspected drug den maintainer.
Leia Alcantara, spokesperson of the PDEA-7, identified the alleged suspected drug den maintainer as Rogelio Camilo Jr., 46, a resident of Sitio Tugas in Barangay Mambaling.
Camilo’s alleged suspected drug den visitors were also arrested including (a father and daughter, Ramon and Juvelyn Tabalin). The other two individuals arrested inside the suspected drug den of Camilo were construction worker Pacito Campos, 36, and Christ Jay Abellanosa, 27.
Alcantara said that the operation was conducted after they received information about Camilo’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in his house in Barangay Mambaling.
She said that they conducted the buy-bust operation after a month-long surveillance of Camilo.
Alcantara described Camilo as allegedly one, who could dispose around 20 grams of suspected shabu in a week inside his house-turned-suspected drug den.
PDEA-7 operatives continue to investigate Camilo’s possible source of his illegal items.
Alcantara said that Barangay Mambaling was among the barangays that they considered as severely drug affected.
The five arrested individuals are currently detained at the detention facility of the PDEA-7 pending the filing of appropriate charges.
The closing of drug dens has been the top priority of PDEA-7 in its campaign against illegal drugs.
In 2022, PDEA-7 shut down 54 total drug dens from all over the region.
She said that they considered drug dens as a breeding ground for violence and any kind of criminality.
They consider drug dens as breeding ground for violence and any kind of criminality,
Alcantara said that keeping the peace and order in every community would come from proactive residents.
And from the closed suspected drug dens all over the region, majority comes from the information from the concerned citizens.
She said that this was proof of the community’s taking part in the campaign against illegal drugs.
Aside from that, she said that they also would make sure that these closed drug dens would not be opened again and would continue its operations through their regular monitoring.
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