P1.3 million shabu seized; two men arrested

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — An estimated P1.3-million worth of shabu was reported yesterday by the police to have been seized from two arrested suspects, after a series of anti-drug operations in Negros Occidental.

The police identified one of the suspects as Ronie Betila, alias Puswak, who was arrested on Thursday during a buy-bust operation at Barangay Rizal in Silay City, Negros Occidental. He yielded 20 sachets of shabu, worth P180,000, and drug paraphernalia.

Superintendent Noel Polines, Silay City Police chief, yesterday said they also recovered P6,500 in cash, P500 in marked money from Betila, who is included in the police drug watch list.

A day earlier, the police anti-drug operatives also seized about P1.2 million worth of shabu during a buy-bust operation at Barangay 2 in Bacolod City, but the target of the operation, drug suspect Edwin Jimena, managed to escape.

Chief Inspector Sherlock Gabana, Bacolod City Police Office spokesman, said that in another operation they arrested Cheryl Capadocia, who was present at the house of a certain Capadocia, which also led to the confiscation of shabu and a homemade .357 magnum revolver.

Gabana said the seized shabu was supposedly to be distributed in time for the MassKara Festival celebration next month.