11 arrested in drug raid in Talisay

CEBU, Philippines - At least 11 individuals, three of them women, were apprehended by the police allegedly in the act of sniffing shabu during a saturation drive in sitio Magay, barangay Tanke, Talisay City yesterday morning.

 Arrested were Camelo Abapo, 56, reportedly owner of the house; his son Ronnel Abapo, 23, Jolito Ibanalo, 21, and Jessie Apolonio, 21.

 All of whom are drivers of motorcycles-for-hire and residents of barangay Sinsin, Cebu City.

 Also arrested were Marvin Abella, 25, of barangay Lipata, Minglanilla, Rennie Lapuz, 29, of barangay Cansojong, Talisay, Darwin Mangaron, 38, of sitio Rattan, Tanke, Jason Secretaria, 28, of sitio Manduang, barangay Pakigni, Minglanilla, Anecita Guisihan, 37, of sitio Magay, who allegedly owns another drug den and a 35-year-old woman, and her 16-year-old daughter.

 Carmelo, in an interview, said he has no other source of income hence he built a small shanty for drug users to use for a fee.

 Carmelo said he collected P1 to P10 from every person who uses his hut, which gives him at least P50 per day.

 The three women caught in the raid denied that they were part of the group that were caught sniffing shabu.

 According to them they were just watching television at the second floor of the shanty when the police came.

 They claimed the minor was sleeping at that time.

 But the raiding police insisted the three women were part of the group who were caught in the act sniffing the prohibited drug.

 Police recovered from Carmelo's shanty five gas lamps, a match box with match sticks in it, four rolled tissue paper, and cut aluminum foil.

 Chief Inspector Eddie Recamara, officer-in-chare of the Talisay City Police Station, said that Tangke over the last years has been well-known for having drug dens even in small houses like Carmelo's.

 He said yesterday's raid was in response to the orders of their provincial headquarters to implement pre-emptive measures on possible crimes brought about by the illegal drugs.

 Recamara said once a person becomes addicted to drugs there is a possibility that he would resort to all sorts of crimes like robbery or theft.

 For her part, barangay chief Perlas Cabanes admitted that sitio Magay is most known in the entire village for illegal drug activities.

She however said that contrary to reports, the drugs they have there are only for personal consumption and not for sale to outsiders.