New task force arrests eight men, 1 woman for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - The police swooped down on a suspected drug den in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City and arrested a woman who yielded several packs of shabu in Barangay Camputhaw.

The operations are offshoot of the recently created Multi-Agency Anti-Drugs (MAD) task force which is composed of several law enforcement agencies and is being supported by the Cebu City Government.

At about 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday, the police arrested Gemma Go, 57. Seized from her were 26 small packs of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P8,000.

A weighing scale and assorted drug paraphernalia were also recovered from her.

Go, according to the police, is a level two drug pusher who can dispose of over 200 grams of shabu every week.

She denied owning the substance. She said she was only dragged to the case, saying it was her husband who possibly owned the items.

The City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office, led by Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, and operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7, conducted the operation.

In a simultaneous operation, another team from the CIB, PDEA and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7, arrested eight persons inside what police believe is a drug den in sitio Bajo, Barangay Calamba.

Arrested were Abner Quijano, 23, and Elmer Oyanguren, both of Barangay Sambag 1; Aljon Belocura, 41, of Guadalupe; Anthony Dullano, 22, of Calamba; Ciril Abellana, 34, and Irene Palla, 20, both from Labangon; Rolan Agraviador, 19, of Pahina-Central and Renante Auza, 18, of Barangay Luz.

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they created the MAD task force in the light of recent crimes, such as those two men found hacked dead in Barangay Taptap and the grenade-throwing in Barangay Carreta, which were all related with illegal drugs.

Also, Buenafe said majority of the prisoners have illegal drug cases according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-7.

 “Due to the perception from different sectors of the community that crimes, particularly crimes against property and crimes against persons were usually related to drug abuse, CCPO launched a more vigorous effort in fighting illegal drug activities,” the police said.

The CCPO tapped not only the assistance of PDEA, CIDG, and National Bureau of Investigation but even members of the military “in the hope of crushing this menace that inexorably erode not only self respect but also the human dignity of its victims.”

The task force was created during their recent meeting with the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC).

PDEA-7 Director Adrian Alvariño and CIDG- Deputy Director Ricky Neron were also at the press conference yesterday, emphasizing cooperation and acknowledging illegal drugs as a perennial problem here in Cebu. (FREEMAN)