Man nabbed for shabu in Barangay Pulang Bato

CEBU, Philippines - Four large packets of shabu worth P100,000 were seized by operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Branch in a buy-bust operation early morning yesterday in Sitio Dita, Barangay Pulang Bato, Cebu City.

Suspect, Tomas Borbon Ardiente, 25, failed to elude arrest after he handed five grams of shabu in exchange for P25,000 marked money from an operative outside his residence at around 7:10 a.m.

Ardiente’s cohort, whom police refused to name, fled on foot.

Aside from the subject of sale, three other large packets of shabu, a weighing scale, a syringe, a plastic container, metal sealer, three notebooks with lists of remittances, and drug paraphernalia were also recovered.

The confiscated llegal drugs were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu City, for chemical analysis.

SPO1 Reynaldo Solante, team leader, said Ardiente’s arrest stemmed from reports that drug runners from Sitio Dita were trying to enter Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion, which irked the runners of the barangay.

“Nag-ilogay sila sa shabu sa area kay mas barato man ang sa Dita unya ang baligya didto mas mahal man, (They were fighting over shabu in the area because the drugs from Dita are cheaper.)” Solante told The FREEMAN.

Operatives tried to make a small transaction in Barangay Pulpogan but they were instead referred to Ardiente in Sitio Dita.

Ardiente was classified as level two drug pusher who could dispose of more than P200,000 worth of shabu in a week.

His areas of disposal include Balamban, Compostela, Carmen, Consolacion, Liloan, Danao City and Toledo City.

In a separate interview, Ardiente admitted owning all pieces of the recovered evidence and that he has been involved in the illegal activity for three months already.

Ardiente said he is paying for the tuition of his two elementary nieces and his 22-year-old sister who is a third year college student.

Even before Ardiente entered the illegal business, he said he already knew of its possible consequences.

“Sa wala pa ko nisulod nahibalo nako sa akong kapaingnan pero ang pagmahay dili man gyud na mawala, (Even before I entered this business I already knew where it would lead.)” he told The FREEMAN, adding that he was once a drug user.

Ardiente is now temporarily detained at the Consolacion police stockade pending the filing of charges for Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  (FREEMAN)