Nurse sold fake drug: PDEA 7

THE licensed nurse who was arrested for allegedly selling Nubain last week was released on Tuesday after the test conducted on the confiscated Nubain ampules proved to be negative.

Napoleon Ricamora was arrested on Jan. 24 after a chase by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 agents at the Cebu Business Park.

Seized from Ricamora’s possession were 30 ampules of the regulated painkiller worth P9,000.

“We submitted the Nubain samples in our national headquarters. The result said it was negative of Nubain,” said PDEA 7 Director Julius Navales.

Navales said they released Ricamora on Tuesday.

“We have no choice but to release him since we cannot file any case against him,” said Navales.

In a phone interview, Navales said Ricamora must be freed since they might be facing charges of illegal detention if they will continue to detain him.

“We had monitored him and we were so positive that he was a Nubain supplier. With the test result, this implies that he might be selling fake Nubain,” explained Navales.

The buy-bust operation against the 28-year-old Ricamora took place near a private hospital in Barangay Capitol Site at 2:40 p.m. last week.

PDEA 7 Deputy Director Levi Ortiz said Ricamora handed over nine ampules to a poseur-buyer.

When Ricamora sensed he was dealing with a police officer, he got into his car and fled.

The agents chased him and Ricamora ended up crashing into another vehicle, but he was still able to drive away.

The pursuit continued at the Cebu Business Park where the agents finally cornered him around 3 p.m.

During a test-buy they conducted last Jan. 14, Navales said they were able to get Nubain ampules from Ricamora.

Dismissed

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the criminal complaint the PDEA 7 filed against Ricamora.

Assistant Prosecutor Gandhi Truya said the evidence against Ricamora and Kalvin Klyne Viajante (not Calvin Klein Canañete as earlier reported) were “insufficient” for them to be charged with selling illegal drugs, a violation of Section 5 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The Regional Crime Laboratory Office 7 also did not find Nubain in three other ampules.

Arrest

Ricamora and his alleged errand boy, Viajante, were arrested in Cebu Business Park in Cebu City last Thursday afternoon.

Lawyer Noel D. Archival, Ricamora’s counsel, said they have yet to decide if they will file a complaint against the PDEA 7 personnel.

“We will think it over,” he said in a phone interview.

Archival denied there was a buy-bust operation conducted against his client.

Ricamora told him that he was first caught by members of the Mobile Patrol Group and Special Weapons and Tactics operatives.