Holy Week roundup nets 17 drug suspects

Police said the Holy Week in Cebu was generally peaceful, except for the series of drug busts that law enforcers still launched during the Lenten observation, netting 17 drug suspects in the cities of Danao and Cebu.

Fifteen drug suspects were arrested in a series of raids in three barangays of Danao City on Maundy Thursday while two were arrested in Cebu City on Good Friday.

Senior Supt. Eric Noble, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, said that despite numerous “false statements” about terrorists attacks in southern Cebu circulating in social media, Cebu remained safe and the observance of the Holy Week was peaceful.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said it was likewise generally peaceful in Cebu City and lauded CCPO’s Cebu Intelligence Branch (CIB) for the arrest of Winston Tan at his house in Spolarium St., Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City last Friday.

Seized from Tan was ten grams of illegal drugs valued at P164,728, said CIB head Chief Insp. Christopher Navida. Tan was under surveillance by CIB for almost a month.

In Barangay Luz, Daniel Sosmeña was also arrested after he was caught in the act by the police sniffing a substance believed to be shabu.

Chief Insp. Gerard Ace Pelare of the Danao City Police Office, on the other hand, reported that eight drug pushers and seven drug users were arrested in simultaneous operations in Barangays Poblacion, Looc and Taboc on Thursday.

The operations resulted in the seizure of 107 small sachets of drugs believed to be shabu with an estimated value of P170,392, and two firearms — a .45 caliber pistol from a Zaldy Bayo and a .38 revolver from Randy Montibon, Pelare said.

Meanwhile, the police in Compostela town in northern Cebu were on the hunt for a Zacary Capin, 25, for the shooting and wounding of Kenneth Gallardo, 19, at dawn on Friday in Sitio Sambag, Barangay Magay, Compostela.

Capin, of Barangay Maslog in the neighboring City of Danao, allegedly repeatedly shot Gallardo for no apparent reason, said Senior Insp. Romeo Caacoy Jr. of the Compostela police.