Two apprentice mates of an inter-island vessel plying the Ozamiz-Cebu route were arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for possession of an estimated 50 grams of shabu valued at P600,000 yesterday morning along Plaridel Street, Mandaue City.
The two men were identified as Rochelle Bagoyop, 21, a native of Butuan City and Mark Anthony Martinez, 20, of Tandag, Surigao del Sur.
The agents are still looking for the third suspect identified as Christopher Berido, alias “Toper”, who was reportedly the one who transacted with them to buy P350,000 worth of illegal drugs.
Berido reportedly promised the agents that the shabu would arrive yesterday morning and arranged where to get it. SPO2s Ramil Villaluz and Rayford Yap and PO3 Prescillano Gingoyon positioned in the area and waited for the arrival of the couriers.
Minutes later, the two couriers arrived and disembarked from their taxi and approached Berido who was onboard a motorcycle. He signaled them to hand the plastic bag over to the agents.
When the two handed the drugs to the agents they immediately arrested, but Berido, already sensing this was a police operations, sped off.
The two apprentice mates denied knowing that there were drugs in the plastic bag they were carrying and claimed it was handed to them by two men they only identified as “Uncle” and “Jun” from Ozamiz City.
The two men in Ozamiz said the bag contained a plastic bag with “humba” in a container, macaroni salad in a covered glass jar and a small box of vitamins. The two crew were given P500 as payment for their services.
The box of vitamins was later found to contain two packs of shabu weighing 25 grams each, both packs wrapped in tissue paper and sealed with tape.
They said the men who asked them to bring the items to a man described to them as Berido gave specific order that the box contained important medicine.
Bagoyop said as crewmen, they are already used to being approached by anybody to bring packages or goods here in Cebu in exchange for money. He also said he only brought Martinez to accompany him in delivering the box to Mandaue city.
Both are supposed to finish their apprenticeship this August. — Edwin Ian Melecio and Flor Z. Perolina/BRP