CEBU, Philippines — A 17-year-old high school dropout who only wanted to provide financial support for his grandmother and make ends meet may have to spend the rest of his life in jail after he and two of his companions were arrested with almost P6 million worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation Monday evening.
Joint operatives of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), City Intelligence Branch (CIB), Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) and Cebu City Mobile Force Company busted the 17-year-old drug courier and his two companions at the Cebu I.T. Park in Barangay Apas, Cebu City around 9 p.m. on Monday.
Seized from their possession were five large packs of shabu with an estimated value of P5.9 million.
Police withheld the name of the teenager who was the subject of the operation. His two companions were identified as Hubert Plarisan Bolo, 22, of Queensville Subdivision, and Orville Quijada Sanchez, 21, of Sitio Caduling Kanaas, all in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
Chief Inspector Jackyll Bilibli said the teenager was placed under surveillance for two weeks before the operation.
“Actually mga more or less two weeks na po natin tinatrabaho ito, yung mga operatiba natin may nakuha po na asset na yung ka-contact po nitong minor. After one week yung tropa na po natin ang nag-act as poseur buyer kahapon,” Bilibli said.
During the transaction the minor sold 100 grams of shabu for P160,000 to an undercover policeman. The two other suspects served as backup.
“Pagtanong sa kanila kung bakit sila tumatakbo, pinahinto sila at nakita yung mga nakabukol sa kanilang bulsa at nakalaylay yung dulo ng supot, paglabas nakita na may shabu kaya inaresto din sila,” Bilibli said.
He said the minor was just used by a bigtime drug syndicate as a courier.
“Ang modus nila ay ibabagsak yung item dito sa bata at yung bata dadalhin din dun sa bibili ng item. Then kukunin nitong bata ang pera, at dadalhin niya sa designated area kung saan niya iiwan at kukunin nitong boss ng bata na si alias Kim. Allegedly itong si alias Kim ay mayroon din boss n’ya sa loob nga Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC), doon kumukuha nang instructions kung magkano ang kukunin, saan ibabagsak yung items at saan kukuha ng pera,” Bilibli said.
“Pang malakihan po to, kung nakikita po ninyo kung paano nila hinahati-hati, tig 100 grams each, so kung susumahin 500 grams, ibig sabihin niyan yung binibentahan nila malakihan rin. Nasa condominium na sila tapos ang contact nila or yung source ay nasa loob ( City Jail) pero paano nakakagalaw yung nasa loob kung hindi to syndicated na organization ng drug lords at saka pushers. Half kilo is marami na ding masisirang buhay. Kung titingnan ninyo, big time syndicate to nakatira na sila sa hotel mga condos, saka very organized itong modus nila,” he added.
Bilibli said they were not expecting the teenager during the operation because their informant told them that they were transacting with a “big man.”
The minor, who was a high school dropout, admitted his involvement in the illegal drug trade. He said he is paid P1,500 every after successful transaction.
“Ang kwarta ako ihatag sa ako lola kay ako papa wala naman sa amoa nya buwag naman sila sa ako mama. Nya gituyo sad nakog kuyogkuyog nila para makaminus og gasto sa kaon didto sa amoa ba, niya nindot man kaayo magkuyogkuyog kay pakan-on mi, paduwaon mi’g computer. N’ya pagkahibawo namo nga mao diay ni iya ipabuhat, mouli mi n’ya kuhaon man mi niya didto sa amoa,” the minor said.
He said he had known Kim because Kim used to be his neighbor.
Follow-Up
A follow-up operation resulted in the arrest of Lyka Barnes Alejo, 20, a native of Masbate City who temporarily residing in Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City. Bilibli said it was Alejo who allegedly supplied drugs to the minor.
“Isa siya sa itinuturo na upper link. Based sa information namin ay aabot hanggang Mandaue City ang operation nila,” said Bilibli.
She allegedly served as the outside operator of the drug syndicate.
“Siya nagpapagalaw, nagma-manage sa pera ng grupo nila,” Bilibli added.
Based on the information gathered by the police, Alejo is capable of disposing of a kilo of shabu every week. Seized from Alejo was a large pack of shabu with an estimated value of P1,180,000.
Bilibli said criminal complaints for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed against the minor and Alejo.
The two other suspects will be charged for violation of Section 11. All charges, however, are non-bailable.
Talisay Operation
Meanwhile, operatives of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) also seized more than P600,000 worth of shabu from a high-value target in Sitio Rattan, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City yesterday morning.
The suspect was identified as Cherry Mae Macuto, 34, resident of the barangay.
Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) chief Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos said they have been monitoring the illegal activities of Macuto after they received reports from the community.
Batobalonos said the suspect got her supply of illegal drugs from Ormoc City.—/FPL Marenyl M. Bolhano, USJ-R Intern (FREEMAN)