Three arrested with loose firearms, drugs

CEBU, Philippines - Several pieces of loose firearms and illegal drugs were confiscated from three men in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group early morning yesterday in Barangay Upper Cansaga, Consolacion.

About two weeks of surveillance led to the arrest of Fredie “Maton” Puesca, 36, and Junrey Bereminito, 29, both of Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, and Ermond Celocia, 24, of Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

The three were said to be renting a room in Consolacion where the transaction with a poseur-buyer took place.

Confiscated from them were three pieces of .45 pistol with magazines and 20 bullets of the same caliber, a .22 revolver, one small and two medium packets of shabu, two marijuana sticks, P500 marked money, and a Honda Wagon motorcycle (JEC 137).

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

SPO4 Jaime Otadoy, operating personnel, said that right after the exchange of the P500 marked money for a small packet of shabu, the poseur-buyer then signaled the arrest.

“Si Puesca gakuha sa shabu sa iyang motor unya gipasa niya kang Bereminito ngadto na sa poseur buyer,” Otadoy said in an interview.

Otadoy added that suspects were still under the influence of illegal drugs during the arrest.

Puesca, in a separate interview, denied owning the packets of shabu but admitted to owning the firearm, which he said he uses for self-defense.

Puesca is reportedly a level-two drug pusher and was once arrested by the police of the same offense several years ago. He was detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City for 13 years.

 â€œInfo nga among nadawat ang drugs gikan sa Munti pero unconfirmed pa na,” Otadoy said.

For his part, Celocia admitted he did not have any knowledge of Puesca’s activity. He was arrested when he arrived at the place.

Celocia, a fourth year criminology student, said that he was only there to deliver a driver’s license as he admitted that he was a fixer at the Land and Transportation Office-7.

“Gisugo lang ko kuha ug lisensiya niya (Puesca) unya pag-abot nako giapil kog dakop,” he claimed.

The suspects are now detained at the Consolacion Police Station pending filing of charges for violation of RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10951 or Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.  (FREEMAN)