Increase in drug demand expected

CEBU, Philippines - Police authorities around Cebu City are tightening their campaigns against illegal drugs now that school opening is just around the corner.

According to Superintendent Romeo Santander, chief of the City Intelligence Branch, a possible increase on the demand of illegal drugs is pre-empted now that school opening gets nearer and an influx of students are coming from different provinces and cities this month.

“As expected gyud na nga musaka ang demand, especially to schools where illegal drugs is rampant,” CIB chief said.

Police are now coordinating with the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency-7 as the lead agency in illegal drugs operation. As of present, operatives have come up with more than 50 names, most of which have pending warrants of arrest.

“At least five are considered drug lords and others are level-one drug pushers,” Santander said.

Level one drug pushers are those who could dispose more than a kilo of shabu in a week. Drug rampant areas are Pasil, Duljo, Ermita, Lorega, A. Lopez, and Polambato.

Santander admitted that he received reports of policemen involved in illegal drugs, but he encouraged complainants to appear at the CCPO or at his office especially at the Talamban Police Station (Station 8).

“If they won’t trust the station (8), then see me at the CIB to address the problem,” he said, adding that they also received information on rampant illegal drugs trade in the area but they could not confirm such without any basis.

Meanwhile, at least 106 small pieces of shabu were confiscated from a 19-year-old alleged drug pusher in a buy-bust operation early morning yesterday in Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.

Kelly Gerebese was arrested by the CIB right after he handed a small packet of shabu to a poseur buyer. Aside from the illegal drugs amounting to P19,000, police also recovered P900 cash believed as proceeds of Gerebese’s illegal activity.

Superintendent Romeo Santander said that Gerebese adopted the drugs trade from his relatives. Gerebese, however, was considered as newbie.

“Dili pa ni siya ingon dugay na kaayo and now we are validating some names with regards to him and his relative’s other involvement nga mga notado na,” Santander said.

In another operation, the PIB also seized one large, two medium, and 20 small packets of shabu in a buy-bust operation Thursday evening in Luray I, barangay Poblacion, Toledo City past 7:00 p.m.

Arrested during the operation was Niño Villanueva, 36, widow and resident of the said barangay, as well as his cohort, Luary Juns Manabat, 26, and resident of Barangay Daanglungsod.

Aside from the illegal drugs, operatives also confiscated a .22 revolver with five bullets, a plastic container, digital weighing scale, and a P1,000 marked money.

PIB have been monitoring Villanueva before they carried out the operation. Villanueva was immediately arrested after receiving the P1,000 from the poseur buyer.

Illegal drugs and the handgun confiscated from said operations were taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory-7 for chemical analysis and ballistics examination respectively.

Arrested persons are also detained at the respective stockades pending filing for RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  â€”/BAL (FREEMAN)