Dumanjug market administrator, four others charged for drugs

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 yesterday filed criminal complaints against Dumanjug town’s market administrator and four others caught for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Jose Perfecto Amadora Sr., 60, was arrested and charged for illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of shabu, illegal possession of drugs paraphernalia and for maintaining a drug den, following a raid in his farmhouse in Barangay Cogon Wednesday.

Amadora, with lawyer Ian Peter Leyson assisting him, told State Prosecutor Al Rey Ouano during the inquest proceedings that he would be filing a counter-affidavit.  Ouano gave Amadora seven days to file the document.

Michael Piega, 40; Ronilo Miguezo, 33; Emilio Sabino, 33; and Loverjan Castro, 20, who were caught with Amadora, chose not to file their counter-affidavits after being charged with visiting a drug  den, opting to defend themselves in court.

The five men were arrested after PDEA-7 implemented a search warrant issued by Judge Wilfredo Navarro of Regional Trial Court Branch 19.

PDEA-7 Director Esperidion Javier, who led the operation, said earlier that it took them eight months of surveillance before they confirmed Amadora allegedly maintained drug den in Barangay Cogon.

According to him, Amadora’s compound was like a farmhouse fenced with barbed wires and planted with mango trees and other plants. The compound also has a piggery, a tree house, and at least three hideouts under the bushes that authorities believed to be drug dens.

The operation also lead to the seizure of 20 medium-sized packs of shabu weighing five grams each and estimated to total at least P300,000, a digital weighing scale, drug sniffing paraphernalia, and two .45 pistols inside the house of Amadora.

Amadora, in an earlier interview, denied he was a druglord and instead claimed that the evidences seized by the operatives were all “planted.”

After the filing of criminal complaints yesterday, Amadora and opted to be placed in the meantime to be under under the custody of the PDEA.— /RHM (FREEMAN)