Seven drug suspects charged

CEBU, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed three criminal complaints against the seven suspected drug pushers who were caught during a buy bust operation in Barangay Sambag I last Tuesday.

The complaints that were filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office included the violation of Section 6 of Article II of the Republic Act 9165 or maintenance of drug den; Section 5 or selling of illegal drugs and section 12 or possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The suspects Rovico Sanchez, 35; Allan Sanchez, 38; Warren Narvasa, 23; Ronnie Campomanes, 33; Benlot Castro, 35; Melchor Tañeca, 26 and Jerome Tañeca, 23 have all signed a waiver of detention asking for a preliminary investigation of their cases.

They were arrested by the operatives of the NBI during a buy bust operation in Sitio Atis, Sambag I last Tuesday.

The drug bust operation stemmed from a complaint by a parent of one of the students of a nearby university whose son was allegedly frequenting the drug den.

A covert NBI operative placed Rovico under surveillance for the past several days and was able to test buy drugs.During the operation, an undercover agent negotiated to buy three big packs of shabu known as “bulto,” each pack costing P39,000.  While the undercover agent was inside the drug den operatives were deployed around the area waiting for the transaction to happen.

As soon as the undercover agent gave the signal after almost two hours of negotiation, the rest of the operatives swooped down the drug den and arrested all the suspects.

The NBI operatives recovered during the raid the P39,000 used as marked-money and one medium sachet of suspected shabu, four packs with 10 pieces each pack of Inner Klene capsules and several drug paraphernalia from Rovico.

Another medium-sized pack of suspected shabu and six small sachets were also recovered from Melchor Tañeca’s possession. — Fred P. Languido/WAB (THE FREEMAN)