‘Grade 12 student’ nabbed after he was caught allegedly smoking weed outside a Cebu City establishment

A 20-year-old man, who claimed to be a Grade 12 student, was jailed after he was caught smoking dried marijuana leaves on Sunday, Feb. 5, outside an establishment along General Maxilom Avenue in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 20-year-old man, who claimed to be a Grade 12 or senior high school student, was caught allegedly smoking weed or dried marijuana leaves outside an establishment along General Maxilom Avenue in Barangay Kamputhaw in Cebu City at past 5 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

Police identified the suspect as Raynard Nator, a resident of Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.

Nator, in an interview with reporters, claimed that he was a Grade 12 student taking up Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Strand.

According to police investigation, a security guard chanced upon Nator standing outside the establishment allegedly smoking marijuana early morning today.

Nator has just came from inside an establishment there where a disco party was being held.

“Pag-abot nako naay nanimaho nga marijuana. Paglantaw nako, nagtabako siya diha,” said the security guard.

(When I arrived there, I smelled  marijuana. When I looked [to find out where the smell came from], I found him smoking there.)

Nator was allegedly with two other companions but he was allegedly the only one caught allegedly smoking marijuana.

The security guard then held Nator and called the Abellana Police Station. Nator was turned over to the responding policemen where he was brought and detained at the police station.

Nator claimed during the interview with reporters that he allegedly bought the marijuana in Barangay Mambaling for P100, and that this was the first time he used it.

For his part, Police Major Nolan Tagsip, chief of Abellana Police Station, said that they would be investigating the possible source of marijuana leaves that Nator allegedly used so that they could stop the alleged seller from disposing the illegal drug.

Tagsip also said that the two individuals that Nator was with during his arest were probably his companions.

“Most likely iya ning kauban pero sa atoang manner of arrest, caught in the act, ang usa ra ang nagpossess unya di man pwede nga [dakpon] ang uban,” Tagsip said.

(Most likely there were his companions, but in the manner of arrest, caught in the act, we could only arrest the one who possessed the illegal drug, and we could not [arrest] the others.)

Following Nator’s arrest, Tagsip reminded the public, particularly parents, to monitor their children, especially those who would be attending parties.

“Wala ta kahibalo nga basin ang atoang mga anak is into drugs na pala or someone induces them to use drugs. So we believe we can deter this, in a way, nga dapat ifollow up sa mga parents ang ilang mga anak,” he said.

(We do not know if our kids are now into drugs or someone induces them to use drugs. So we believe we can deter this, in a way, that parents should followup on their kids.)

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