2 women charged for drug dealing

CEBU, Philippines - For allegedly dealing in illegal drugs, two women from Cebu City have been sued before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Last Thursday, the operatives of the Regional Special Operations Group-7 filed charges for illegal possession of shabu against Grace Abellana, 38, a resident of Barangay Suba; and Liza Tero, 31, a resident of Barangay Pasil.

The respondents were arrested last Tuesday around 8 p.m. in Barangay Suba. During their arrest, the police were able to recover at least 800 grams of shabu worth P4 million.

Based on the documents, the police said they received a telephone call from a concerned citizen around 6 p.m. informing them of a drug transaction involving the respondents.

Acting on the report, the police said they went to the area particularly at corner Garfield and Magsaysay streets in Barangay Suba around 7 p.m.

The police said around 8 p.m., they saw a woman, later identified as Abellana, holding a blue knapsack talking to another woman and allegedly showing her the contents of the knapsack.

The police said they approached the two who ran after seeing them. They were eventually arrested after a brief chase. When police searched the knapsack of Abellana it contained eight big packs of suspected shabu. Another two packs of suspected shabu were found on Tero.

The seized big packs of shabu have a street value of P25,000 to P30,000 each.

The respondents allegedly distributed drugs in Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City, based on the earlier reports. The allegations were denied by the respondents.

The two said they were surprised when the policemen arrived in their house and arrested them.

Meanwhile, several packets of shabu to worth P100,000 were confiscated from an alleged drug pusher during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group past 5 p.m. last Thursday in Phase I, Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion town.

The subject of the operation, a certain Isyat Pepito, eluded arrest, but her accomplice Rufino “Opit” Cinco, 73, was arrested.  Confiscated from Cinco were four large packs and one small pack of shabu, a container and P1,000 marked money.

Cinco is now detained at the Consolacion police stockade pending filing of charges against him for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

A team led by SPO1 Reynaldo Solante first made a saturation drive to confirm reports of Cinco’s illegal activity with Pepito. After it was confirmed, operatives then carried out the operation around 5:30 p.m.

A poseur-buyer made the transaction using P1,000 in exchange for a small packet of shabu which resulted to Cinco’s arrest. However, Pepito was able to run away.

“Dunay gihaya unya daghan kaayong motor nag-parking naglisod og sulod among sakyanan mao gyud to’y nakalangay namo,” Solante said.

Cinco allegedly started dealing drugs last March after the raid in Sitio Molave, Barangay Tayud, Liloan town, in which lawmen killed a drug pusher and arrested seven others.  Isyat is the wife of Bebot Pepito, both have pending charges for possession of illegal drugs.

In the Liloan operation, operatives recovered several packs of shabu worth P500,000, assorted firearms, a weighing scale, various drug paraphernalia, assorted ammunition, magazines, a bulletproof vest and a ledger notebook with P1.7 million collectibles at the apartment of Pepito. — (FREEMAN)