drugs Archives | Cebu Daily News

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Cebu City are now determining the source of the P30 million worth of illegal drugs confiscated from a 20-year-old suspected drug pusher in Barangay Duljo Fatima on Friday, March 8.

Initial findings from two police stations in Cebu City — Punta Princesa Police Station and the Mambaling Police Station — showed that Raven Bardon Gonza is the source of the illegal drugs seized from a suspected drug peddler arrested in Barangay Punta Princesa around 5:20 a.m. on Saturday.

Gonza was arrested during a buy-bust operation on Friday evening, March 8, a few meters away from his house in Barangay Duljo Fatima. Police from Mambaling Police Station confiscated 4.6 kilograms of suspected shabu from his possession.

Hours later, operatives from the Punta Princesa Police Station arrested another suspected drug peddler in the neighboring village of Punta Princesa.

Ten packs of shabu, worth over P680,000, were confiscated from Arturo Cañete Mori, 36, who is considered by law enforcers as a high-valued target.

Chief Inspector Keith Allen Andaya, Punta Princesa Police Station chief, said Mori told investigators he got his supply from Gonza.

“We already planned to conduct a follow-up investigation once we learned about his (Mori) supplier, but we were informed that he (Gonza) was already arrested,” said Andaya.

This are the suspected shabu estimated to be worth P680,000 that were confiscated from suspected drug pusher Arturo Cañete Mori during a buy-bust last March 9 in Barangay Punta Princesa. | PHOTO COURTESY OF CCPO

Meanwhile, Senior Inspector Francis Talosig, Mambaling Police Station chief, said they were determining where Gonza got his supply of illegal drugs.

“We are conducting an investigation on it. The suspect is now under interrogation,” Talosig said.

He added that they were informed of Gonza’s illegal activities two weeks ago.

“May informant kami nagsabi na he is into illegal drugs. We monitored him for two weeks, and validated the information kaya ayun, nagconduct na kami ng buy-bust in coordination with the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency),” said Talosig.

He also said that based on their initial findings, the drugs confiscated from Gonza looked like ‘high-grade shabu’ or pure, crystalline methamphetamine hydrochloride.

“Pero inaantay namin yung confirmatory report from the crime laboratory kung high-grade ba talaga ito,” he added./dbs.

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Abdurasid Haji, 26, is caught with a pack of suspected shabu and is detained at a police detention cell in the Cebu City. |Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — He just wanted to have something that can boost his sagging energy and to keep him going in doing his job as a truck driver of a fish carrier plying the Basilan-Cebu route.

But Abdurasid Haji, 26, of Basilan town in Mindanao, on Monday afternoon did not get his energy boost and also ended up in jail after he was caught with a pack of suspected shabu in Barangay Pasil in Cebu City.

PO2 Raymund Calumboy of the Cebu City Force Mobile Company, said, in an interview on Monday, March 18, that they chanced upon Hadji walking along L. Flores St. in the barangay.

Calumboy said that Hadji started acting suspiciously or showed that he looked like he was feeling uneasy as the police officers on foot patrol drew near him.

So, Calumboy said, they stopped Hadji to check him and found the pack of suspected shabu from him.

Hadji was detained at a Cebu City police detention cell pending the filing of charges./dbs

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Scene of the Crime Operatives inspect the gun, illegal drugs and illegal drug paraphernalia found in the dead drug suspect’s house in Sitio Sta. Cruz, Barangay Mohon, Talisay City. |Benjie Talisic

TALISAY CITY, Cebu, Philippines — A 28-year-old drug suspect died after he chose to shoot it out with police officers at dawn on Saturday, March 30, than to have his house searched for illegal drugs.

Eric Ruiz of Sitio Sta. Cruz, Barangay Lower Mohon in Talisay City was fatally wounded during the return fire of police officers from the Talisay Police Station out to serve a search warrant against Ruiz to have his house searched.

Major Ardioleto Cabagnot, Talisay Police Station deputy commander, told CDN Digital that a team of police officers were about to serve a search warrant against Ruiz, but as they approached him, Ruiz allegedly fired at the police officers, which prompted them to fire back at him.

Cabagnot said that the warrant to search Ruiz’s house was issued by Judge Jacinto Fajardo of the Talisay City Regional Trial Court Branch 68 on Friday, March 29.

After the shootout, Cabagnot said they proceeded to search Ruiz house and found a pack of suspected shabu and illegal drug paraphernalia.

They also confiscated the .38 caliber revolver that Ruiz allegedly used in the shootout with police officers.

The shootout was the second time in Talisay City in a span of six days. Last March 25, a drug suspect and his common law wife were killed during a shootout with police officers in Sitio Mananga, Barangay Tabunok.

Meanwhile, Cabagnot said that Ruiz had just posted bail for another illegal drugs case two months ago.

Ruiz was detained in jail for a week and was released after posting bail about two months ago, said Patricia Ruiz, 57, the mother of the dead drug suspect.

Cabagnot said that Ruiz was a level 3 drug pusher in their list, which meant that the dead suspect could dispose at least 300 grams of suspected shabu in a week./dbs

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Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The recovery of 750 grams of illegal drugs during the conduct of their Synchronized Enhanced Management Police Operations (Sempo) in Negros Oriental on Saturday, March 30, was an indication that shabu continues to proliferate in Central Visayas.

Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), does not discount the possibility that there are also candidates in the May 13 election who benefit from illegal drug sales to fund their campaign.

Sinas said that they are constantly coordinating with the Central Visayas office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to track down the source of these illegal drugs which he said has grown rampant during the election season.

“We have a joint consensus with PDEA-7 and we both received reports that the drugs are hoarded to be sold during the election period,” said Sinas.

“Dili gani Sempo makakuha natag 100 to 150 grams. Alarming na kaayo na siya,. (Even in our non-Sempo operations, we are still able to confiscated 100 to 150 grams (of shabu). This is now very alarming),” he said.

Sinas said that both the PRO-7 and PDEA-7 have been getting reports on the hoarding of shabu that are now slowly released into the market for disposal during the campaign period.

“Mao na among gibantayan kay biglang nawala napud. Basin naghuwat ra sila nga ipagawas na pud sunod. (We are now on the lookout because supply appears to be diminishing for now. Drug suppliers may be waiting for the right timing to release their supply into the market),” said Sinas.

But he assured Cebuanos that the shabu that are sold here are not locally produced. Cebu’s supply was traced to have come from the National Capital Region.

Sinas said that the police and PDEA-7 are closely monitoring the seaports and airports in the province to track the movement of illegal drugs here.

“Nagbantay man sad ni sila sa movement sa police. So mag change pud mig strategy aron ma trace na gyod namo ang source. (These drug groups are also monitoring the movements of the police. We also have to change our strategies to be able to efficiently trace the sources),” said Sinas. /dcb

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Redjie Cabingatan is arrested after he was caught with a Frontier handgun and allegedly illegal drugs at a checkpoint in Barangay Buhisan in Cebu City. |Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are investigating if the member of the Barangay Mayor’s Office in Barangay Toong in Cebu City is responsible for robbing and killing a student on Tres De Abril Street last Friday night.

The investigation was prompted after Redjie Cabingatan, 45, was caught with a firearm and suspected shabu at a checkpoint in Barangay Buhisan in conducted by the City Force Mobile Company (CFMC) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said Major Chuck Barandong, CFMC chief, in a phone interview with CDN Digital on Monday.

Barandong said that Cabingatan, who was riding a motorcycle, was caught with a Frontier handgun that uses Armalite M-16 bullets.

Aside from that, Barandong said that Cabingatan was also caught with several sachets of suspected shabu.

The gun found in Redjie Cabingatan’s U-box. |Benjie Talisic

Barandong said that they conducted the Barangay Buhisan checkpoint after a college student and her girlfriend who were walking along Tres de Abril Street in Barangay Labangon were robbed by two men on a motorcycle last Friday night, March 29.

Friday’s robbery was the second in the city involving pedestrians and commuters in a span of five days. The first one led to the death of the robber after an off-duty police officer, who was a passenger of the jeepney, shot the fleeing robber along Natalio Bacalso Avenue on March 24.

According to a police report, the college student, died in the hospital after he was shot in the leg when he tried to stop the robber from taking his girlfriends’ bag.

Barandong said that Cabingatan denied the robbery and murder allegations against him.

He also denied having illegal drugs inside the U-Box of his motorcycle where a Frontier gun was found.

Cabingatan was detained at the CCPO detention cell pending the filing of charges./ dbs

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Barangay Ilaya Councilor Ramil Abueva was shot dead in an ambush on Sunday, April 7, in Ronda town in northwestern Cebu. /Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Politics and drugs.

These are the two possible motives that the Ronda police are focusing on in the killing of Barangay Ilaya Councilor Ramil Abueva on Sunday, April 7, in Ronda, a southwestern town 90 km from Cebu City.

Police Captain Rodgene Fudotan, Ronda Police Station chief, told CDN Digital in a phone interview on Sunday, April 7, that they were investigating politics as a possible in the shooting death of Abueva because he was a barangay councilor of Ilaya.

Fudotan said that another possible motive that they were focusing on would be the victim’s allegedly being involved in the illegal drug trade.

Fudotan said that they had just learned that Abueva was in the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) watchlist of persons allegedly involved in illegal drugs in the province.

Fudotan, however, said that he had yet to get this watchlist from the CPPO.

According to the police investigation, Abueva was on his way home when he was shot dead by a gunman riding a car.

Abueva, who was riding a motorcycle, came from the town’s public market and was on his way home in Purok Mangga, but when he reached Purok Saging, Sitio Tab-ang, a few meters from his home, he noticed a man in a car with a gun.

So he made a U turn away from the vehicle to escape the gunman, but unfortunately, the gunman pursued Abueva and caught up with him.

Abueva jumped off his motorcycle to avoid getting hit when the gunman started firing at him.

Despite his action, Abueva was hit several times in the body. The assailant then fled after he saw the victim fall to the ground.

Abueva was then rushed to the hospital for treatment but he did not the hospital alive.

According to data from the CPPO, Abueva was arrested in 2017 after unlicensed guns were found inside his home.

The raid on Abueva’s house was conducted by the Provicial Intelligence Branch.

A search warrant was served on Abueva, and his house was searched which yielded a .38 caliber revolver and a .45 caliber pistol, which were both unlicensed firearms./dbs

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Law enforcers confiscated drugs worth P68, 000 from the possession of a university student in Dumaguete City. /Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A university student was arrested in a buy-bust operation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) in Dumaguete City, Wednesday dawn.

Mary Jean Delna, 21, could not help but feel regret for what she has done now that she will have to spend jail time for her offense.

Delna, who is taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) in a University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, was arrested in a joint operation by PDEA-7 and the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Dumaguete City Police Station in Barangay upper Cadawinonan, said PDEA-7 Information Officer Leia Albiar.

The joint team confiscated three small packs of suspected shabu weighing at around 10 grams and worth at least P68, 000; a cellular phone; and the P2, 000 buy-bust money from the suspect’s possession.

Albiar said that the suspect was placed under surveillance for at least a month before PDEA-7 operatives planned the buy-busy operation against her.

The PDEA-7 information officer does not discount the possibility that Delna would sell drugs to fellow students.

A complaint for the sales of illegal drugs is now being prepared against the suspect, Albiar added. /dcb

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Packets of suspected shabu weighing 85 grams are being processed by police after the buy-bust operation where they caught Menjay Arcilla at the Carbon Public Market.|Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An 18-year-old woman was caught with half a million pesos worth of suspected shabu during an anti-illegal drugs operation in the Carbon Public Market in Barangay Ermita in Cebu City on April 13, Saturday.

Menjay Porcia Arcilla was arrested after she was caught with 85 grams of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation inside the Carbon Public Market, said Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Mayam, Police Drug Enforcement Group Visayas (PDEG) Special Operations Unit 5 chief in an interview with CDN Digital.

Mayam said the suspected shabu confiscated from Arcilla had an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P578,000.

Mayam said Arcilla, who is known as Ninjay, was allegedly a drug courier of of a group headed allegedly headed by a drug lord operating in Cebu.

Mayam, however, did not identify the drug lord or the the group of the drug lord.

He said that Arcilla had been tasked by the drug group to deliver the suspected shabu to their buyers.

Arcilla was detained at the Carbon Police Precinct pending the filing of charges./dbs

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Police do not discount the possibility that the killing of Michael and Fraldine Canes was drug-related. |CDND file photo

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Mandaue City are looking at the possibility that the killing of Michael and Fraldine Canes, late night on Sunday, was drug-related.

Police Major Aldrin Villacampa, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Police Station 1, said that Canes’ father, whom he failed to name, was arrested in 2012 for a drug-related case.

Villacampa said it was possible that the couple was targeted by the still unidentified suspects because of their links with Michael’s father.

They are also looking into reports on the couple’s alleged involvement with Cebu’s shabu queen Jocelyn Encila.

Fraldine and Michael Canes. /Contributed Photo

But Villacampa said that they do not also discount the possibility that the couple’s killing was business-related.

“Since they owned a business, we are also looking into whether they had a rival who may have wanted to target them,” he said.

Villacampa said that robbery was another possible angle in the couple’s murder.

CCTV footage that is now with the MCPO Command Center show that the gunman took one of Fraldine’s handbags.

“Makita man nga naay gikuha nga bag sa CCTV. Most likely kawat gyod ni pero ato gihapon gitan-aw ang anggulo sa drogas. (From the CCTV footage, we can clearly see that the gunman took a bag (from Fraldine). Most likely, robbery was the motive (in their killing) but we do not also discount the possibility of drugs),” said Villacampa.

Michael and Fraldine were killed past 11 p.m. on Sunday while they were on their way home to Barangay Umapad with their eight-year-old daughter. The couple came from the North Bus Terminal in Barangay Subangdaku to send garments supply to a buyer in Bantayan Island.

Relatives already claimed the couple’s bodies, but Villacampa said that their eight-year-old daughter will remain with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for counseling.

Villacampa said that the girl survived the attack after she pretended to be dead.

“Niana ra man to siya nga nagpapatay-patay siya. (The girl said that she pretended to be dead),” said Villacampa./dcb

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CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are focusing on the possible drug links of a Barangay Tangke, Talisay City resident who was killed in a shooting attack by motorcycle riding gunmen on Black Saturday, April 20.

Police Major Ardioleto Cabagnot, Talisay Police deputy station chief, told CDN Digital in a text message on Sunday, April 21, that Lloyd Obrero, 35, who was shot dead by two of four assailants on a motorcycle, had allegedly taken over the illegal drug business left by his mother, Marissa Obrero, who was allegedly serving time in jail for illegal drugs.

Cabagnot also said that they were planning to conduct an anti-illegal drug operation against Lloyd after they allegedly received information about his alleged illegal drug activities when the attack happened.

Cabagnot said that they were investigating the possibility that a rival drug group could have been responsible for the attack.

The Talisay shooting happened a day after a police officer was wounded in a shooting attack in Samboan town in southern Cebu.

According to police investigation, on Saturday, April 20, Lloyd, his wife, Maricel, his daughter and a cousin were standing outside their house in Sitio Rattan, Barangay Tangke in Talisay City when a motorcycle with four men arrived.

Two of backriders got off, approached Lloyd and his family, then both pulled out guns and fired at Lloyd’s group.

Lloyd was killed while his wife, child and his cousin were wounded in the attack. Those wounded were brought to the hospital for treatment.

After seeing Lloyd fall, the two gunmen then headed back to the motorcycle where two of their other cohorts were waiting, got on the motorcycle and fled the area. /dbs

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Police will soon file a complaint for the possession of illegal drugs against a man called “Jesus” in Good Friday plays. /CDND File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Mark Anthony Jakosalem, who plays the role of Jesus Christ in Good Friday plays, will have to face a charge for the illegal possession of drugs that the police is now preparing against him.

Police Major Eduard Sanchez, chief of the Abellana Police Station, said they will file the complaint against Jakosalem as soon as they secure the outcome of the PNP Crime Laboratory testing that will confirm that he possessed shabu during his arrest on Easter Sunday.

Jakosalem, 24, admitted that he would peddle illegal drugs in Barangay Sitio Kawayan, Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City where he lives.

He told CDN Digital in an interview that he is now sorry for what he did. He also asked the Cebuanos not to immediately cast judgment on him.

While he admitted that illegal drugs peddling was wrong, Jakosalem said that he sinned because he was only human. He said that he lives a life that is far from that of Jesus Christ, the role that he would portray in Good Friday plays.

Sambag 2 Councilor KM Wencislao is asking others in their barangay to learn from Jakosalem’s example and avoid from venturing into illegal activities that could land them in jail. /dcb

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Aldrin Nalzaro and Arnel Leonado are caught with several sachets of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City on May 7. | Benjie B. Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two men, who had links to drug suspect Eddie Basillote, were arrested in an anti-illegal drug operation in Sitio Ponce 2, Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, at past 1 p.m. of May 7.

Aldrin Nalzaro, 28, of Barangay Lamac, Consolacion town in northern Cebu and Arnel Leonado, 24, of Sitio Ponce 2, Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, were arrested by police officers of the Waterfront Police Precinct in a buy-bust operation in the area, said Police Major Joemar Pomarejos, Waterfront Police Precinct chief.

They were caught with several sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P24,000.

Pomarejos said that they also found out that the house that they raided was owned by Basillote.

Basillote was the drug suspect who was mauled last April 18 allegedly by police officers of the Talamban Police Precinct who were allegedly conducting an anti-illegal drug operation in the area.

The mauling incident was caught by the security camera of the pinball shop that the police raided, was uploaded online, went viral and created a controversy about alleged police brutality.

The two drug suspects arrested on May 7 had links to Basillote, said Pomarejos.

Nalzaro, a jeepney conductor was a friend of Basillote staying at the latter’s house, while Leonado was a cousin of Basillote’s common law wife, said Pomarejos.

Nalzaro was also one of the complainants in the complaint filed against the police officers involved in the mauling incident of Basillote.

Pomarejos said that the target of their operation on May 7 was Nalzaro and Leonado whom they had monitored for four days before raiding the house that they were staying and were allegedly operating their alleged drug activities.

He said that they received information about the suspects’ alleged illegal activities and were informed about strangers’ visiting the house day and night.

They verified the information and then conducted the operation against the two suspects.

Nalzaro and Leonado were detained at the Waterfront Police Precinct detention cell pending the filing of charges./dbs

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The word war against Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Police Colonel Royima Garma continues with Mayor Osmena seeking to replace Garma as Cebu City Police Office chief. | CDN File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s tirades against Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director, Colonel Royina Garma, is far from over.

Osmeña said that he would like Garma to be replaced as the city director because he claimed that Garma was allegedly behind the various police brutality and violence in the city including the strafing of the homes of four barangay chiefs in Malubog, Sudlon II and Sinsin.

The mayor accused Garma of allegedly conniving with the opposition slate, Partido Barug-PDP Laban, in allegedly threatening Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) members and supporters through alleged unfair treatments in checkpoints.

He also accused Garma of allegedly being a protector of the illegal gambling business after a document surfaced linking Garma to alleged illegal gambling.

“Garma is the most influential police in the Philippines. I heard she is being groomed to be the next chief of PCSO (The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office),” said Osmeña.

Earlier, Osmeña challenged Garma to produce proof that she had been cleared of the allegations of illegal gambling.

The mayor also said that Garma’s campaign against illegal drugs had not made any change on the severity of the illegal drug trade on the grassroots level.

Osmeña said he would like former CCPO director, Colonel Joel Doria, to be back in Cebu City since Doria had a good performance as a city director.

He even said that Doria should take over Brigadier General Debold Sinas’ position as the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

“The previous one (Doria) was already good. Why should we gamble on a new one? I think he would be better to replace Sinas, himself. I think we would have a better police,” said Osmeña.

Garma told CDN Digital that the mayor would have to ask Sinas to get her out of CCPO since it was the Regional Director who assigned her there.

“It’s not my concern anymore. Si RD (Regional Director) na ang bahala. Kung may instruction (to transfer), go ako. (It is RD’s decision. If I am instructed to transer, I will go),” said Garma.

Garma refused to respond to Osmeña’s claims on illegal gambling and simply urged the mayor to file the necessary charges against her.

Osmeña posted on his Facebook page on May 7, that he had filed charges of corruption and grave misconduct to the Office of the Ombudsman against Garma.

Garma said that her legal team would be acting on the complaint and she refused to comment about it./dbs

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Marvin Saberon, 25, of Sitio Lahing-Lahing, Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City after he was caught with P2.8 million worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation. | Benjie B. Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A pipe installer landed behind bars after he was caught with 425 grams of suspected shabu valued at P2.8 million in a police operation in Barangay Mabolo on Sunday afternoon, May 19.

Marvin Saberon, 32, was arrested by operatives of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Lahing-Lahing 2, Barangay Mabolo in Cebu City.

According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Carlito Apilat, City Intelligence Branch (CIB) chief and the team leader of the operation, Saberon is a newly identified drug personality in the area and has been placed under surveillance for one week.

Confiscated from Saberon’s possession were the P1,000 marked money used in the operation, P9,000 cash believed to be proceeds from his involvement in the drug trade, seven large packs and one medium sized pack of a white substance believed to be shabu.

The police also confiscated from Saberon 10 large packs of ‘brown shabu.’

The latest drug haul is the biggest of three operations in Cebu City in the last three days and the second P2 million worth of suspected drugs confiscated in the last five days in Cebu City./dbs

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Marylou Cabahug is caught with P1.87 million of suspected shabu during a buy-bust in Barangay Basak-Pardo on Sunday, May 19. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Three years after her live-in partner’s arrest for allegedly peddling illegal drugs, 28-year-old Marylou Cabahug also fell into the hands of authorities for the same violation.

Cabahug was allegedly caught with 275 grams or P1.87 million worth of illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation conducted by the City Intelligence Branch (CIB) of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) 9:10 p.m. Sunday, May 19.

Cabahug was arrested at her rented home in Sitio Kiosko, Barangay Basak Pardo.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Carlito Apilat, CIB chief, told CDN Digital in a phone interview that Cabahug’s detained common-law husband, Roxan Quirante, was her source of the illegal drugs.

He added that they have placed Cabahug under surveillance for almost a month now, before they finally conducted the operation.

“Mahug nga iyang bana ang iyang source kay mao may naay contact. Bali, naa siyay (Quirante) tawagan nga kuhaan sa drugas, ihatod sa iyang asawa unya iyang asawa maghuwat pod og kinsa ang mopick up ani gikan sa iyaha,” Apilat said.

(Her husband is the source of the drugs because he is her contact. Her husband will tell her where to pick up the drugs and she will wait for the buyer to pick up the drugs from her.)

Cabahug’s common law husband, Quirante, is detained at the Cebu City Jail, since he was arrested in November 2015.

This is so far the second drug bust conducted by the CIB today, Sunday, May 19. The first was in Barangay Mabolo where they also confiscated P2.8 million worth of illegal drugs./dbs

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Jhon Harold Mantorillas is caught with 500 grams of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Kamagong, Barangay Lahug in Cebu City on Thursday, June 6. | Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — He tried to stop an undercover police officer from arresting him during a buy-bust operation on Thursday afternoon, June 6, and ended up getting shot in the stomach with his own gun.

Jhon Harold Matorillas of Sitio Kamagong, Barangay Lahug in Cebu City was rushed to the hospital for treatment and was recuperating there for the gunshot wound in the stomach, said Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Mayam, Police Drug Enforcement Group Visayas (PDEG Visayas).

Mayam said that when Matorillas would be transferred to jail once the doctors would allow him to be moved since the drug suspect was caught with 150 grams of suspected shabu during the buy-bust operation in Sitio Kamagong.

He said that the illegal drugs confiscated had an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board value of P1 million.

This is another million peso drug haul this week. Last June 2, police arrested three suspected drug dealers and confiscated P5 million worth of suspected shabu.

On Thursday’s operation, investigation showed that Matorillas realized that the man he was dealing drugs with was a police officer and hurriedly retrieved the .45 caliber pistol that he was sitting on.

s police officer, who saw what Matorillas was doing, grabbed Matorillas hand with the gun and they grappled for possession of the weapon.

It was then that the gun went off, hitting Matorillas in the stomach.

Mayam said that they had considered Matorillas a high value target as was shown in the suspected shabu that they confiscated from the suspect./dbs

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Four people were arrested in a buy bust operation in Barangay Tejero, past midnight of June 20, 2019. Two of the suspects were traffic enforcers in Cebu City. | Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) terminated two of their traffic enforcers after being caught along with two others in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tejero at past midnight of Thursday, June 20.

CCTO head, Francisco Ouano, told CDN Digital that he has ordered the termination of Ervin Labaya Navarro, 38, and Francis Abe Mordeno, 40, who had worked for the CCTO for 7 and 15 years respectively.

Ouano said that he was ‘very’ dismayed that the two CCTO personnel, who prided themselves as traffic enforcers, also peddled and used illegal drugs, which Ouano said were shameful acts for people serving in government.

“We have provided them a decent job, and yet they still chose this kind of lifestyle,” said Ouano.

He said there were already suspicions that Navarro and Mordeno were drug users because one of them proved positive to the recent drug test in March while the other managed to avoid the drug test altogether.

Ouano refused to reveal which suspect proved positive in the drug test for confidentiality.

He said that he already talked to both of them, and both promised to stop using drugs, and for this reason, they were allowed to continue working as traffic enforcers.

Their arrest on Thursday past midnight was a proof of their return to the illegal activities, which Ouano said would constitute immediate termination.

“I have already sent letters to the administration office for the termination of Navarro and Mordeno. I hope this will serve a lesson for the other enforcers to stop their illegal activities,” said Ouano.

Last year, another traffic enforcer was also arrested for allegedly selling illegal drugs. Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña then ordered that the enforcer be terminated.

Meanwhile, Ouano warned other traffic enforcers that if they would be caught in a similar situation as Navarro and Mordeno, they would be terminated as well.

However, he said there were no plans to conduct another drug test soon because they already did one this year.

Navarro and Mordeno were caught with Reynaldo Ricarte and Marc Alcos Miñosa in a buy-bust operation at Sitio Zapanta in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City.

Confiscated from the four men were drug paraphernalia and packets of shabu with a total value of P34,000.

The four suspects were detained at the Waterfront Police Station in Cebu City awaiting the filing of charges. /dbs

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Police find illegal drugs and unlicensed gun from Marvin Arda, 38, after he was initially apprehended for wearing a pair of military pants, a violation of Republic Act 493. CDND PHOTO /Benjie Talisic

CEBU CITY, Philippines —A tip from Hotline 166 led police to arrest a man in possession of 25 grams of illegal drugs and an unlicensed. 45 caliber pistol in Barangay Kamputhaw on Wednesday night, July 10.

Police Executive Master Sergeant Joemar Tagalog, chief clerk of the City Force Mobile Company of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said Marvin Arda, 38, was wearing a pair of military pants when they caught up with him just outside a private hospital in Barangay Kamputhaw a few minutes past 11 p.m.

The three-digit emergency number, 166, is linked to the Cebu City Mobile Patrol Group.

Tagalog said Arda, a resident of Barangay Babag in Cebu City was standing next to his motorcycle when they approach and asked him if he is also a police officer.

Arda did not respond.

The police then told Arda about the 166 call with the caller reporting about Arda’s suspicious actions.

Tagalog said they initially apprehended Arda because he violated Republic Act 493, which prohibits civilians from “wearing, using, manufacturing, and selling military uniforms, insignia, medals, and badges prescribed only for soldiers and policemen. “

Tagalog said Arda was read his rights and was asked to raise his shirt as part of protocol.

Police saw a. 45 caliber pistol tucked in his pants.

Further search resulted in police finding five packs of shabu equivalent to 25 grams with a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P170, 000.

Arda admitted that he carried a gun because he received grave threats from someone in their village.

He said the illegal drugs are not meant to be sold to anyone. Arda said the drugs are for his personal use. / celr

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President Rodrigo Duterte /Screengrab from RTV-Malacanang YouTube video

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has made another push for the reimposition of the death penalty in the Philippines.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, Duterte recounted the May 2017 Marawi City siege carried out by the Maute terrorist group: “Tons of shabu worth millions of pesos, drug money, killed 175 and wounded 2,000 and one of my soldiers and policemen in that five-month battle.”

“I am aware that we still have a long way to go against this social menace. (T)he reason why I advocate the imposition of the death penalty for crimes related to illegal drugs,” he said.

Duterte has earlier expressed openness to revive the death penalty, which the country suspended in 2006, for drug trafficking and other heinous crimes, noting that it will instill fear among criminals.

With the current composition of Congress – with more Duterte allies sitting in the Senate, which previously blocked the measure, the administration thinks it could be easier to pass the death penalty bill.

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Wardell Reducto and Junrey Villariasa were arrested in a buy-bust operation Monday night. /Photo from the PDEA RO VII Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Two men who belong to the watchlist of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) were arrested in a buy-bust operation near Auto BRC in Barangay Basak, Monday night, July 22.

Wardell “Espog” Reducto ad Junrey Villariasa were arrested for the possession of nine sachets of suspected shabu weighing at least 1.54 grams and worth P10, 472 and the P500 buy-bust money.

In a Facebook post, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) said that a complaint for the violation of the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the suspects.

Monday’s operation was made in coordination with LLCPO, the City Drug Enforcement Unit and the Criminal Investigation Branch.

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