OPERATIVES of the San Carlos City Police Station have arrested the son of a Negros Occidental town mayor and two others in an anti-illegal drugs operations in the locality’s Barangay 6 on Wednesday night, August 17, 2022.
Lieutenant Ruby Aurita, deputy chief of San Carlos City police, said the subject of the buy-bust operation was Chito Atienza, 46, of Luzuriaga Street in the barangay.
Aurita said Atienza was arrested for selling a sachet of suspected shabu in exchange for P600.
After his arrest, the police also caught Rosalia Nemenzo, 60, of Barangay Suba and Nestor Era Jr., 40, of Sitio Lipat-on, both of Calatrava, who were inside the house of Atienza.
Era is the son of Calatrava town Mayor Marilyn Era.
Aurita alleged that Nemenzo and Era were in the house of Atienza to use illegal drugs.
Recovered from Atienza's place were 13 sachets of the banned substance weighing 15 grams and valued at P102,000.
For her part, Mayor Era said on Thursday, August 18, that she does not conform with the wrongdoing of her son as she stressed that she was not remiss in reminding him to be mindful of his actions.
“He is already of legal age and he already knows what is right and what is wrong (so) if he has violated the law, he needs to face the consequences," Era told SunStar Bacolod.
The mayor said she can do nothing but accept the sad truth of what happened to her son.
"Though my role as a parent is still there and I will help him if I can since he is my son, I do not condone his actions," Era added.
Charges for violation of Section 5 and Section 26 of Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, for conspiring and selling illegal drugs were filed before the San Carlos City Prosecutor’s Office Thursday against Atienza and Nemenzo, whom the police said are tasked to look for customers.
As for Era, the police filed charges for possession of illegal drugs against him.
The police also said that the three suspects yielded positive for illegal drug use.