Women engaged in illegal drugs in Talisay City worry police

43-year-old Catalina Agustin of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City is arrested after police confiscated P1.3 million worth of ‘shabu’ from her during a buy-bust operation conducted on Thursday evening, January 13, 2022, in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City. | Photo courtesy of Talisay City Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The recent increase in the number of arrested women due to illegal drugs in Talisay City is drawing concern from the police.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of Talisay City Police Station, said this following the arrest of four females in three separate buy-bust operations conducted in the city on Thursday,  February 17, 2022.

Caballes added that although most of the arrested drug suspects are still men, the fact that more women have been arrested lately is a cause for concern.

Caballes, however, could not provide data for now on the total number of male and female drug suspects that they have arrested since last year when he assumed the post.

“Di gyud sya maconsider nga growing kay naa man sad tay nadakpan nga laki, only that karon nga mga last few days sa operations, like gabie naay mga babaye nga involved sa drugs so dili kay ko maka conclude nga increasing ang mga babaye nga apil sa drugs,” Caballes said.

READ: Newly installed Talisay police chief vows to continue relentless drug campaign

The four arrested women were mostly street-level individuals, police said, and they only operate at the barangay level which means they are newly-identified players of the illegal drug trade in the city.

Caballes identified the arrested women as Maryfe Fernandez Ramas, 47, her cohort Jeanni Belle Quebec, 54 both from Barangay Inayawan; Beverly Paguipo, 21, of Barangay Mambaling, and Juvi Marie Barte 43, from Talisay City.

The four were arrested on Thursday, February 17.

Ramas and Quebec were arrested in Sitio Laray in Barangay San Roque while Paguipo was nabbed in Barangay Poblacion. Barte, on the other hand, was collared in Barangay San Roque.

Police were able to confiscate a total of 28 grams of ‘shabu’ from the four with an estimated market value of P250,000. They are currently detained at the holding facility of the Talisay City Police Station.

Caballes also added that there is a possibility that the women could have inherited this illegal trade from their husbands or relatives. He said that based on their background check, most of those arrested have relatives who were known to be drug suppliers.

“Ang kasagaran gyud sa mga madakpan nato kay ilahang mga partner, mga husband, kay arrested na involved sa illegal drugs, or naa say history sa ilang family nga involved pod, naa na sa mga prisohan, involved sa illegal drugs nga mga kaso…If ang ilang partner will be arrested, naay possibility nga ang female partner maoy musunod. Or if naay item, wa may laing mabinlan, so possibility kay sa iyang wife ibilin,” Caballes said.

The city’s police chief also said there is a possibility that more women are now involved in the trade of illegal drugs as he expects a slight increase in the number of arrested female suspects in the coming days.      /rcg

READ: Woman from Naga City, Cebu nabbed with 25 grams of ‘shabu’