167 nabbed in crime, drug drives

MANILA, Philippines - Police officers arrested 167 people in drives against crime and illegal drugs in Metro Manila over the past two days.

In Parañaque, city police chief Senior Superintendent Jemar Modequillo told The STAR that more than 200 police officers and medical and social welfare personnel rounded up 99 people drinking in public, 45 minors for violating curfew and eight for not wearing a shirt in public.

At least nine persons were found to be the subjects of arrest warrants, he said.

Police officers also seized 22 motorcycles believed to be stolen because their riders did not have ownership papers.

The arrested minors were turned over to social welfare officers while those with arrest warrants were detained pending the return of the warrants to the courts that issued them.
In a separate operation at around midnight on Thursday, Modequillo led a police team in serving a search warrant and arresting drug suspects Rommel, Ronnie and Juland, all surnamed Candelario.

Recovered during the search were a .45 caliber pistol and bullets for .45 caliber and .38 caliber pistols.

In Valenzuela, at least nine persons were arrested in separate anti-drug operations.

Denver Montero, 35, was apprehended in a sting along Ibayo street at around 11 p.m. Thursday. Four sachets were reportedly taken from him.

Three hours later, Luisito Cruz, 33; Roxanne Haloyhoy, 32; and Rommel Hubila, 19, were caught in another sting along Molina street in Viente Reales. Six sachets of shabu in a sling bag and the marked money were recovered from them.

Another sting led to the arrest of Mary Rose Torres, 36; Junvic Rebola, 31; Kristine Cerrudo, 30; Susito Eludo, 42; and Jolly Andoy, 43, along Lower Tibagan shortly before 1 a.m. yesterday.

In eastern Metro Manila, Samuel Christensen Sr., 47, and his sons, Samuel Jr., 25, and Kevin; Pricilla Bonus, 32; Rodjun de los Santos and Almarose Garcia, 25, were arrested in separate stings.

A sachet of shabu and P300 in marked money were seized from the Christensens and Bonus in Barangay Balong Bato, San Juan.

Two sachets of shabu were taken from De los Santos in Pasig City while Garcia yielded a sachet of shabu in Marikina.