CEBU, Philippines - Several packets of shabu worth P25,000 and assorted drug paraphernalia were seized by anti-narcotics operatives in an operation in Barangay Tomonoy, Moalboal town past 6 in the evening last Thursday.
The subject of the operation, Nerissa "Ner" Sambilad was arrested by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (PAIDSOTG) in her house. Also arrested was Sambilad's alleged cohort, Edmer Jauculan.
The operatives have been monitoring Sambilad after her older brother, a certain Tolindoy, was arrested by the PAIDSOTG last year and is currently detained at the Cebu Provincial Detention Rehabilitation Center.
"With his (Tolindoy) arrest, ang nakapuli ang iyang igsuon kay didto man ni gasugod nga dunay nahibilin nga usa ka Tupperware si Tolindoy unya gipa-disposed, nahigam siguro," said SPO1 Reynaldo Solante, team leader.
Solante said that during the buy-bust operation, it was Jauculan who handed small packets of shabu to the poseur-buyer in exchange of P300 marked money.
Sambilad was reportedly nearby and acted as the cashier and boss of Jauculan.
Suspects failed to resist the arrest since they were already handcuffed by the PAIDSOTG.
Confiscated were two large packets of shabu as well as 12 medium packs and 16 small packs. Also seized was the P300 marked money, a digital weighing scale; three improvised sealers; three disposable lighters; and a plastic filler.
The illegal drugs confiscated were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 in Camp Sotero Cabahug, Cebu City for chemical analysis.
Supt. Rodolfo Albotra, Provincial Intelligence Branch chief, said Albotra that Sambilad is a level three drug pusher and her scope of distribution include Badian and neighboring towns.
"Sa among investigation iyang ngalan gyud ang mugawas, tunog na kaayo," Albotra said, adding that the suspects admitted their engagement in illegal drugs.
Suspects are now detained at the Consolacion police jail pending filing of charges for Sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165 or the violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Meanwhile, considering that night students are soft targets to illegal drugs, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will start conducting drug awareness symposiums in night high schools in the city.
Senior Insp. Eunil Avergonzado, chief of CCPO's City Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (CAIDSOTG), said they will start with Science High School and Labangon Night High School this week and proceed to the other night high schools in the city in the coming weeks.
"We will reach out to night high schools, believing that demand reduction is the best way to stop illegal drugs, and high school students pa naman ang customers nila," Avergonzado said. Demand reduction refers to efforts aimed at reducing the public's desire to use illegal drugs. — (FREEMAN)