Woman who sold Nubain Charged

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office recommended no bail against a pharmacist caught by the police selling dangerous drugs.

Prosecutor Rogelio del Prado Jr. charged Ritz Villahermosa a.k.a. Inday, 39, a resident of Meowland, Barangay Pakigne Minglanilla, Cebu City with two counts of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Del Prado elevated the cases to court after Villahermosa waived her right to a preliminary investigation, supposedly to give her a chance to file a counter-affidavit to refute the allegations filed against her.

Villahermosa was charged for a violation of Section 11 of Article II of RA 9165 or illegal possession of drugs with recommended P200,000 bail and violation of Section 5 of Article II of RA 9165 or selling of illegal drugs with no recommended bail bond.

In the joint-affidavit, police officers assigned at the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (RAIDSOTG)-7 said that prior to the raid, they received reports from an informant about the alleged illegal activities of a pharmacist.

“Reports reached RAIDSOTG7 from a confidential informant revealed that a certain Inday with service white KIA RIO car with plate number YJG 245 is engaged in selling Nalbuphine Hydrochloride or Nubain and is reportedly looking for a buyer of said item,” the affidavit reads.

They reportedly confirmed the reports on March 2, 2012 and hatched the operation against Villahermosa with the help of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

They reportedly negotiated to buy nubain and agreed to get the same from her across the Zapatera Elementary School along Sikatuna St., Barangay Zapatera. PO2 Neil Ryan Talle was designated as poseur buyer.

Around 3pm on March 3, Talle boarded Villahermosa’s vehicle when it stopped across the school. Five minutes later, he sent his colleagues a missed call to signal that the transaction was consummated.

Immediately, the other policemen who stood by the area approached the vehicle and appraised Villahermosa of her Constitutional rights.

They recovered marked money used in the operation and a lady’s bag containing 11 paper boxes containing a total of 1,100 ampules of suspected nubain from the accused. — (FREEMAN)