A MOTORCYCLE-FOR-HIRE (habal-habal) driver yielded more than half kilo of suspected shabu worth around P3.7 million in an anti-illegal drug operation on M. Lazarte Street, Barangay Parian, Cebu City past 1 a.m. on Saturday, February 11.
Police identified the suspect as Mark Anthony Cabatas, 43, a resident of Sitio Nazareth, Barangay Buhisan in the said city.
The joint operation was conducted by the operatives of Parian Police Station 1 headed by Major Efren Diaz Jr. and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA 7).
Diaz said they placed Cabatas under surveillance for a month before carrying out the operation.
But before that, they transacted with Cabatas twice but the latter was very elusive.
“So mao to nga sa kini karon ika tulo pasalamat ta nga nagmalampuson na gyud and wala mi mag too nga ingon ana kadako ang iyang duwa kay mohurot gyud siya ug napulo ka kilo sa usa na bulan,” Diaz said.
(So now is the third time, we're grateful that we succeed and we didn't expect him to carry this big and that he is capable of disposing ten kilos in a month).
“Whole Cebu City gyud ni ang iyang coverage. Modeliver pud ni siya sa mga silingang siyudad,” he added.
Catabas said in his defense that he engaged in illegal drug activity due to meager income as a habal-habal driver.
He said he used to earn P1,000 each day from collecting passengers, but his income now is only P300.
Cabatas claimed that he did not receive any payment from the drugs that were left to him, except for the residual drugs, which he would sell.
The suspect made a commitment not to go back to illegal drug activity.
Cabatas will be facing charges in violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (BBT, TPT)