Man indicted for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - For waiving his right to undergo preliminary investigation, the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a man before the court for illegal possession of drugs.

Assistant City Prosecutor Simaco Labata held Hernando Ponso for trial after he chose not to file his counter-affidavit before the office to deny the allegations filed against him.

Ponso, instead, manifested he would face the charges in court.

Labata recommended the bail of P200,000 for Ponso’s temporary liberty  while the case for violation of Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act is being heard in court.

The operatives of the City Intelligence Branch arrested Ponso, 34, on July 30, 2014 along Palma Street, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City.

Ponso, according to the police, was a suspected accomplice of an alleged drug pusher, Ronald Miramontes, who was the subject of the buy-bust operation but managed to escape after the operation.

The CIB transacted with Miramontes and bought a large pack of shabu inside his rented house in Barangay San Roque.

According to the police, Ponso was allegedly with Miramontes during the transaction.

When Miramontes realized that he was transacting with a poseur-buyer, he quickly ran and jumped into a creek when the policemen went after him.

The police instead recovered eight large packs of shabu worth P2 million, a weighing scale and a firearm inside the house of Miramontes.

Superintendent Romeo Santander of CIB earlier said that before the operation was conducted, their office received reports of the illegal activities of Miramontes in the area.

Miramontes has reportedly no permanent address.  (FREEMAN)