Teacher, family arrested with P2M drugs charged

CEBU, Philippines - The public high school teacher, her husband and their three children arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Campo, San Francisco town in Camotes Island are now facing charges before the prosecutor’s office.

Maria Jocelyn Arquillano, 52, and her husband Diosdado, 54, are charged for illegal drug sale and possession, both violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The couple was also charged for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act for the firearms confiscated from them.

Their son Richard Jean, 27, also faces the same charges, said Senior Police Officer 1 Renante Solante, who heads the Provincial Intelligence Branch.

Their two other children, Dodie, 18 and Debie Sychel, 23, were also charged for possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.

The family’s fighting cock handler  Giovanie  Pautan, 28, was likewise sued for the same charges.  The complaints were handled by Cebu Provincial Office state prosecutor Jerome Abarca.

 PIB operatives were armed with a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Jerry Dicdican of Branch 25 in Danao City when they conducted the operation last Monday.

After successfully buying drugs from the couple and placing them under arrest, the police served the warrant on their house, during which their children and Pautan were allegedly seen repacking shabu.

The confiscated shabu weighed 177 grams, which, according to the police, is valued at P2,088,600.

Aside from shabu, firearms and drug paraphernalia were also recovered from the family.

The teacher has denied the accusations, saying she is not into illegal drug trade and that the shabu packs were not confiscated from their house.  (FREEMAN)