Cops nab "drug queen"

CEBU, Philippines - A woman whom the police tagged as a “drug queen” was nabbed with several packs containing what is believed to be illegal drugs amounting P3,000 to P5,000 during the operation of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (PAIDSOTG) on Monday afternoon.

Florita Peñas was arrested inside her house in Barangay Sabang, Danao City with two small packs and three other packs of illegal drugs as well as a weighing scale.

Peñas, according to Deputy Provincial Director for Operation Teofilo Siclot, is a noted level 2 drug pusher in Danao City who sold 200 grams of illegal drugs per week worth around P2.5 million.

Siclot said Peñas used to be just a level 3 drug pusher selling 10 grams of illegal drugs per week amounting to P100,000 or more.

The pieces of evidence were submitted to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory at Camp Sotero Cabahug for examination.

Siclot led the operation by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Marilyn Yap of Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Mandaue City.

It was last year that operatives were prompted to conduct a test buy in a place called “Necaragua” in Danao City after they received information regarding the transactions of Peñas.

Siclot added that they tried to apply for a search warrant against Peñas in Danao City but the judge denied their request due to his busy schedules.

“Didto mi sa Danao pero nibalibad kay December man to maong didto nalang mi sa Mandaue City ni-apply,” he said.

Peñas was one of the top drug pushers on the lists in Danao City Police Station and in the province.

Peñas is detained in the Danao City police stockade while violation of Sec. 11 of RA 9165 will be filed against her.

Meanwhile, police burned down yesterday 200 stalks of fully grown marijuana plants they recently uprooted in a mountainous area in Barangay Bayong, Balamban town.

The plants were uprooted by the Regional Intelligence Division and other units last Friday. These were burned down at the headquarters of the Police Regional Office 7.

RID operatives led by its deputy chief, Supt. Glenn Oliver Cinco, went to the area after receiving a report from their informant who is a member of the Barangay Intelligence Network.

They scoured the mountainous area of sitio Tarong and found the marijuana plants and 20 seedlings. The police then uprooted the plants and turned them over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7.

Senior Supt. Augusto Marquez, head of the RID, identified Balamban town as a notorious area in Cebu for marijuana plants. — (FREEMAN)