Woman falls in drug bust

CEBU, Philippines - Several packets of shabu worth almost P20,000 was confiscated from the possession of a suspected drug pusher in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Looc, Danao City, Tuesday afternoon.

The Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group led by SPO1 Francis Alen Villamor arrested Cecilia “Celia” Gonzaga, 41, outside her residence right after the transaction was completed.

A poseur buyer reportedly used P200 marked money in exchange for one small packet of shabu given by Gonzaga.

As soon as the transaction was consummated, Gonzaga was arrested by the operatives. She was reportedly under surveillance for a week.

Aside from the subject of sale, twenty-three other small packets and one large packet of shabu worth P19,600 and the marked money were confiscated from Gonzaga’s possession.

The evidence confiscated were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug for chemical analysis.

Gonzaga could allegedly dispose of 25 grams of shabu in two days but she refused to disclose her source of illegal drugs. She reportedly even reached neighboring towns in disposing shabu.

She was also included in the PIB’s list of noted drug personalities in Cebu province.

Pedro Gonzaga, husband of the suspect, was arrested by the operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch three years ago and still has a pending case for violation of Section 5 and 11 of RA 9165.

Pedro and Cecilia were both selling shabu in Danao City and Camotes Island before but the PIB only arrested Pedro after Cecilia eluded arrest during the operation.

“Mga three months pa ni siya sukad nibalik kay tungod atong nadakpan iyang bana (It has been three months since she returned after her husband was arrested),” Villamor said in a phone interview.

Pedro was detained at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

Operatives will check at the Regional Trial Court in Danao City if there is an arrest warrant for Section 5 and 11 of RA 9165 against Cecilia while additional charges for a similar offense are being prepared against Cecilia who is now temporarily detained at the Minglanilla police stockade.— (FREEMAN)