Notorious drug pusher in Talisay City arrested

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (RAIDSOTG) and the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) arrested an alleged notorious male drug pusher in a buy-bust operation Wednesday evening in barangay Tangke, Talisay City.

This is contrary to reports that operatives arrested a female big time drug pusher in barangay Pardo and seized a kilo of shabu.

Operatives arrested instead fisherman Ritchie Labajo Cerna, 38, right after he handed a packet of shabu to a poseur buyer at around 7:45 p.m. in exchange for a bundle of marked money with one genuine P500 bill on top.

Confiscated from Cerna was alleged shabu estimated to have a value of P120,000.

Operatives said they had a difficult time going out of Cerna’s house because neighbors threw stones at them.

Team leader Sr. Insp. Henrix Bancoleta said they called the Talisay City police for support.

Operatives discovered that the ground floor of  Cerna’s house was used allegedly as a drug den.

When asked about the operation in Pardo, Bancoleta said the person they were looking for was not around and instead asked people for information about the person before they proceeded to Talisay City.

“Na-compromise among operation naa mi gi-invite mama sa among target, pero amo ra gi-release human namo gisukit sukit”, Bancoleta said.

For his part, Cerna denied being a drug pusher.

“Planted na nila gidritso ra nila na ug punit,” Cerna said.

He said he was just watching television when the police arrested him.

Charges for violation of Section 5 and 11 of RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against Cerna this week.

His is now detained at the PRO-7 stockade.  (FREEMAN)