During arrest of bigtime "drug pusher": Residents shoot, stone PDEA agents

CEBU, Philippines – Residents of Barangay Tangke, Talisay City stoned and fired shots at the agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in their aim to prevent the operatives from arresting a couple, who are known drug pushers in the area, last Sunday afternoon.

Anti-drug operatives succeeded in arresting Marbee Torion, 23, but her husband Ramon “RJ” Torion, 27, was able to escape.

Yogi Filemon Ruiz, deputy regional director of PDEA said they were stoned by the neighbors of the couple and were even shot at five times using unknown caliber of firearm. Nobody among his team got hurt but the back glass of their L300 van was broken.

Ruiz said they already identified the house where the gunshots came and promised that they will be back “even if people power will occur” during their operation.

“Mag-anad mana sila kung mahadlok ta aning people power sa mga silingan sa pusher, ang ato to intensify sa illegal drug campaign,” he stressed.

Prior to the operation, PDEA has received information from Talisay City police chief Henry Biñas, who asked assistance against the illegal activities of the Torion couple.

PDEA agents had conducted surveillance operations for two weeks before the buy bust operation where they confiscated 62 sachets of shabu.

Ruiz said the couple can be considered as level three drug pushers because according to the information they received, the couple could dispose 10 to 15 grams of shabu a day. Their customers allegedly come from the nearby barangays like Tabunok and Bulacao and even as far as Minglanilla.

During interrogation, Marbee admitted that they are into the illegal activity but only just for a month. She refused to tell where they get their supply.

“Igo lang mi hatdan ug namorsiyento lang mi,” she said.

The Torion couple has three children. Their eldest child is aged 4, second is 3 and the third still months old.

“Nagmahay man ko sir pero ulahi naman ang tanan,” Marbee added while crying inside the PDEA-7 detention cell. — Christopher Gabriel C. Bonjoc/WAB (THE FREEMAN)