In Talisay, Cebu City, Danao, Liloan: 48 fall in drug ops

CEBU, Philippines - At least 48 people were arrested in police operations against illegal drugs in the cities of Talisay, Cebu, and Danao the past two days.

Thirty drug suspects were arrested in Talisay, eight were nabbed in Cebu City, and five fell to the police authorities in Danao.  Two persons were also arrested in Liloan.

In one of two operations in Barangays San Roque and Tangke in Talisay City last Tuesday afternoon, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency -7 arrested Carlos Cabanca Abalo, a member of the "Batman Drug Group" and fifth on the list of targets of the Talisay police, said PDEA -7 Director Yogi Ruiz.

Abalo is allegedly one of the men of self-confessed drug personality Franz Sabalones who earlier surrendered voluntarily to Philippine National Police chief, Director-General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa.

PDEA confiscated shabu worth a total of P1.6 million from three alleged drug dens it raided. The den in Tangke was allegedly maintained by Abalo while the dens in San Roque were allegedly maintained by Lloyd Manubag, and Lucino Dakay.

The three, the main targets of the operation, are facing charges for selling drugs, maintaining a drug den while the rest of the suspects arrested at the dens are facing charges for using shabu.

Abalo, a fisherman, denied selling drugs but admitted using it. He also denied knowing Sabalones personally.

Still in Talisay, elements of the city police arrested Marciano Cabataña a.k.a Bungot, 42, and his cohort, Marilyn Lucernas, 29, in a buy bust operation in Sitio Dawis, Barangay San Roque. 

Police confiscated 13 small packs of shabu worth P1,000 from the suspects.

Hours later, at around 9 p.m., three alleged pushers were arrested in Sitio Rattan in Barangay Tangke.

They were identified as Niño Bones, 29; Nelson Lumapay, 33; and Rene Bisin, 36.

Police confiscated 31 small packets of shabu worth P6,820 from the three.

Cebu City

Evening on Tuesday, eight drug suspects were arrested in Barangays Suba, Pasil and Lorega San Miguel in Cebu City.

Police were conducting their intensified anti-drug campaigns dubbed as Oplan Pokemon and Oplan Double Barrel when they chanced upon the group of Gloria Cabanday; Melsequicdeck Olofernes; Roselo Tumulak; and Renato, Elvira and Jaymar Inot.

The suspects were arrested after they were caught in possession of a total of 55 grams of shabu, with Cabanday and Renato allegedly yielding 24 grams each.

Hours before, in Lorega San Miguel, police arrested two men for selling drugs past 3 p.m.

The subjects of the buy-bust operations were Eduardo Pedrano, 33, and Raffy Gador, 22, both residents of the barangay.

PO2 Edades Bustarde, desk officer of the Parian Police Station, said the subjects were placed under surveillance after they received information that the suspects were engaged in selling dangerous drugs.

Police seized 26 small sachets of shabu from the suspects.

Danao City

In Danao, three were placed under arrest during a buy bust operation.

Police Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, chief of the Danao City Police, said the target of the operation was Ronie Mata but they also caught Froiland Ralota and Jomar Batoon in the area in Barangay Poblacion allegedly sniffing shabu.

Plastic sachets of shabu were allegedly seized from Ralota and Batoon.

In another operation yesterday dawn, police placed under arrest two sisters who yielded a large pack of marijuana in Barangay Maslog.

The suspects were identified as Airen and Juliet Laurito. Seized from them were 285 grams of marijuana.   

Gambling

During the operation in Cebu City in Barangays Suba and Pasil, police arrested five other men for illegal gambling. The five were identified as Reil Ronald Gador, Jerrymie Paunillan, Alfredo Boyboy, Noel Casanes, and Wilfredo Lavarino.

Police confiscated 31 mole-mole machines and 11 Video Karera machines from the area.

In Liloan, police arrested drug suspects Jomad Molo and Reneboy Montellano during an operation in Barangay Poblacion Tuesday dawn. Mylen P. Manto. Iris Mariani B. Algabre, Michael Vencynth H. Braga (FREEMAN)