11 people nabbed in Iligan City drug den

MANILA, Philippines - Anti-narcotics agents arrested a lady drug den owner and 10 other people during a buy-bust operation in Iligan City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Tuesday.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said that Reyna Dacula, 39, uses her house as a one-stop shop shabu market in Purok 5, Saray, Iligan City.

Cacdac said that aside from selling drugs, Dacula allows her customers to do sessions in her house.

He said Dacula's partner Julius Bitara was able to elude arrest and remains at large.

The others nabbed during the operation were Luis Baloncio, 27; Jorien Dacula, 20; Carlos Macalyag, 35; Jun Rey Baroy, 29; Rey Timkang, 30; Jason Iglesias, 18; Roly Ornopia, 32; Archie Relacion, 33; and Jonathan Paner, 22.

The PDEA did not identify one of the drug dependents arrested during the operation because he was only 17 years old.

PDEA operatives arrested Dacula at around 2:15 p.m. last March 13 after selling two plastic sachets of shabu to a poseur-buyer in her residence.

When operatives searched the house, 19 plastic sachets of suspected shabu worth P8,750 and several drug paraphernalia, were found inside.

Charges for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Den, Dive or Resort), Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against Dacula, while a separate case will be filed against the 10 others, for violation of Section 7 (Employees and Visitors of a Den, Dive or Resort), of the anti-drug law.