Three men and two women were arrested in an anti-illegal drugs operation conducted by members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 at barangay Pakigne, Minglanilla Friday evening.
The suspects were identified as couple Buenaventura Billondo, 44, and Ladyvina, 40; Arnito Alipin, 30; Julius Canales, 35, and Debrah Zosa, 27.
PDEA-7 agents, led by SPO3 Prescillano Gingoyon, first received reports of illegal drugs sale in the area reportedly done by a certain Anot. This prompted them to verify, which later resulted in the conduct of a drug buy-bust operation against Anot.
Authorities then saw Anot inside the house of the Billondo couple, and they immediately set up the dragnet by letting an agent posed as a buyer of three packs of shabu from Anot for P100.
Anot was however more clever by sending instead the Billondo couple to give the “bought” shabu to the poseur-buyer. When the police grabbed and arrested the couple, Anot quickly fled from the area.
While agents were taking the arrested couple to the PDEA-7 cars, there were some people who gathered around them and tried to help the two.
The agents decided to frisk these people instead. Alipin was found in possession of three packs of suspectred shabu, Canales had two packs of shabu, and Zosa had drug paraphernalia.
The agents had to arrest the three also, and all five suspects were taken to the PDEA-7 office to be detained while charges will be filed against them. — Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE