Drug raid nets two in San Francisco

CEBU, Philippines -  The Regional Special Operations Group-7 has arrested two persons in a simultaneous implementation of search warrants against three suspected big-time drug pushers in Barangay Sta. Cruz, San Francisco, Camotes Island last Sunday.

Though they failed to arrest any of the subjects of the warrants, the policemen also confiscated several firearms and P276,000 worth of illegal drugs.

Regan Rica was arrested after he tried to block the way of the police officers, while Jenifer Sostino was arrested after she yielded 24 small packs of suspected shabu.

Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, Police Regional Office-7 deputy regional director for operations, said Executive Judge Soliver Peras of Regional Trial Court Branch 10 in Cebu City issued the search warrants against Noli Sostino;  Edmund Formentera;  and Jenifer’s husband Michael Sostino, whom Capa described as “bigtime drug pushers” in Camotes.

Capa said they applied for the warrants after receiving complaints against the trio for their illegal activities.

Past 8 a.m. last Sunday, RSOG personnel raided the homes of Noli, Formentera, and Michael and recovered a .38 caliber revolver, a big pack of suspected shabu, seven smaller packs of suspected shabu, and several drug-sniffing paraphernalia from inside Noli’s residence.

Noli, though, was not home when the police implemented the warrants.

The police also found a .45 pistol, a fragmentation grenade used as a booby trap, three mobile phones, a gun replica, two big packs of suspected shabu, bundles of receipts from a money forwarder, P495 believed to be proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs, from Formentera’s residence.

Regan, who yielded a .38 revolver, was placed under arrest after he tried to block police officers to give Formentera time to escape. Formentera, along with several others, allegedly ran towards a cornfield at the back of his house and even exchanged gunshots with the policemen.

The policemen also recovered a .45 pistol, a .357 revolver, a 5.56 revolver, and a .22 magnum revolver and live ammo, two packs of suspected shabu, medium sized packs of suspected shabu, and nine rectangular-shaped packs, and eight more packs.  They also confiscated a digital weighing scale and P4,300 cash believed to be proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs.

Jenifer Sostino, Michael’s wife was arrested after police officers found in her possession 24 small packs of suspected shabu.

Jenifer refused to issue a statement when sought by the media yesterday afternoon.

The operation was actually the third attempt authorities made against the three but they proved to be elusive.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 and the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office had also gone after the three.

Even though they escaped, however, Noli, Michael, and Formentera would still be facing complaints for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Comprehensive law on Firearms and Ammunition. —/RHM  (FREEMAN)