THE way it looks to us, our law enforcers has declared an open hostility against drug dealers and pushers. But at this point, who has the upperhand? Who is in control of the “battleground” or has the advantage in the skirmish?
In the other day’s issue of Sun.Star Cebu, we find sporadic reports on this running drug war. Still too early to predict regarding the outcome, since the challenge is definitely a potent one.
More than two weeks ago, there was this heartening report: Shabu haul in two days: P700,000; more dealers fall. A laundrywoman yielded drugs worth P472,000, it said.
From the month of July to August 15 this year, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 had arrested 313 people. Around P25 million worth of drugs and 65 firearms were seized.
Illegal drugs with an estimated value of P550,000 were confiscated from three drug dealers reportedly from three separate raids in Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City.
The City Intelligence Branch (CIB) arrested Eduardo Abellar, who was the subject of a warrant of arrest from the Regional Trial Court Branch 56. Confiscated from the suspect were medium packs of believed methamphetamine.
In another incident, personnel of the Canduman, Mandaue City Police Station seized a suspected illegal drug with an estimated worth of P160,000. When the arresting officers raided the suspect’s residence with a warrant of arrest, they found drug paraphernalia and empty Nubain ampules.
Another team from the Canduman police station raided the house of another suspected pusher, and confiscated two medium packs of shabu.
The Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) also intensified its fight against illegal drugs upon the mandate of the city mayor, who wants her city to be free of drugs and retain dignity as a drugs-free tourist resort city.
In one case, the LLCPO police set a decoy to entrap a suspected pusher, who is said to have immediately handed the decoy a pack worth P200. He was paid in marked money. Once the money was received, the pusher was arrested.
In Cebu City, a 50-year-old who feigned as laundry woman, was arrested with illegal drugs worth P472,000 in her possession.
She had told police that she was known as Marilu Toledo. She was arrested by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (Raidsotg) of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7. The police said to have found in her room packs of shabu weighing 40 grams worth P11,800 each pack.
When she was questioned by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), she reportedly reasoned out that she was forced into the “livelihood” because there was no other way out. She knew the risk of selling drugs like being arrested and spending timein jail.
She also knew, so it is said, that she could get killed by not remitting the sales of the drugs. Amen, amen. But at least she tried. Better to have tried, than not at all.