Police rescue minor from “drug pusher” partner

CEBU, Philippines - A police operation against drugs turned out into a rescue operation after a 14-year-old girl was saved by joint elements of the police from her live-in partner in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City yesterday dawn.

The girl, who reportedly ran away from home about two months ago, was rescued from her own live-in partner, Vernon Cero, 33, after the operatives served a search warrant signed by Presiding Judge Teresita Galanida of the RTC-7 branch 56.

The operation was conducted by the joint elements of the Subangdaku Police station, the Investigative and Detective Management Bureau and the SWAT.

Senior Police Officer 4 Rowena Penaflor, the chief of the Women’s desk of the Subangdaku Police station said that in an interview, the girl admitted that she is a “stubborn child” and her parents have already ignored her for bringing problems to the family.

The girl, who hails from Talisay City, said that she met the drug suspect through a common friend and after being in a relationship with him for two months, she willfully decided to live with him.

Penaflor said that the girl’s parents only learned of her whereabouts when the police contacted them yesterday to inform them about the incident as the police were suppose to file charges against her over her presence in a “drug den” after the girl earlier claimed that she was already 17 years old.

However, the girl was saved from the filing of a criminal charge against her after her mother was able to produce a birth certificate that showed she was a minor.

“Kun di pa to minor pwede to siya ma-charge og kaso nga pareho sa kaso sa iya ka-live-in, galing kay 14-year-old pa man siya, exempt siya from criminal liability mao ato gi-turn over sa DSWD for proper disposition,” she said.

Instead of a detention cell, the girl was turned-over to the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) yesterday.

As for Cero, he is currently detained at the Subangdaku Police Station  pending the filing of charges of possession of illegal drugs against him after the police were able to seize inside his house two big packs and two small packs of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu and some drug paraphernalia.

Subangdaku Police Chief Senior Inspector Miguel Andeza said that although Cero is in their watchlist, they still have to wait for the assessment of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) with regards to his level of involvement in the illegal drug transactions. — (FREEMAN)