AN ADMINISTRATIVE aide from the Department of General Services in Cebu City Hall was arrested in a buy-bust operation at 6:40 a.m. on Thursday, April 22, 2021 in La Aldea Buena, Brgy. Babag, Lapu-Lapu City.
Based on his identification card, his name is Robeth Sable delos Santos, a resident of Brgy. Suba, Cebu City and an employee (administrative aide III) of the Cebu City Hall.
He allegedly drove a Toyota Innova marked as owned by the Cebu City Government to deliver the illegal drugs.
The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office that conducted the buy-bust operation confiscated from delos Santos 105 grams of shabu with a Dangerous Drugs Board value of P714,000.
According to Police Lt. Noah Añana, team leader of the joint operation of the City Intelligence Unit and City Drug Enforcement Unit, delos Santos is a high-value individual in their drug watchlist.
Before his arrest, he had been charged with violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The Cebu City government said Santos has been removed from his job as administrative aide at City Hall.
Cebu City Attorney Rey Gealon said Santos’ firing is an indication that Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella doesn’t tolerate individuals who are proven to be involved in illegal activities.
“The Mayor is relentless in the fight against illegal drugs, which is evident by his support by way of legal, material or otherwise, of all the efforts of Cosap (Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention), in coordination with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), to curb this menace,” Gealon added.
Gealon said they are also looking at the possibility that Santos may have used one of City Hall’s vehicles to deliver illegal drugs to his customers. (AYB / ALAN TANGCAWAN / PAC / NRC)