Oro trader ‘positive’ for drug use
THE son of the village chief in Cagayan de Oro City has been tested positive for drug use, according to an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Northern Mindanao on Tuesday, November 7.
PDEA-Northern Mindanao agent Ben Calibre said the anti-narcotics agency on Tuesday, November 7, charged the suspect, Ralph Martin Rafanan with transportation of dangerous drugs before the provincial prosecutor’s office.
Rafanan, who owns a construction supply business, came from Manila and was arrested by the PDEA operatives after he arrived at the Laguindingan airport, on Monday, November 6.
Authorities seized 17 tablets of methelyndioxymethamphetamine, known as party drug “Ecstacy,” inside the suspect's bag.
Calibre said the crime laboratory also confirmed that the seized P51,000 worth of party drugs were indeed “ecstacy.”
"Dili pud pwede ma-charge siya sa drug using kay wala man nasapon sa akto pero basi sa drug test positive siya," Calibre said.
Calibre said the suspect may likely be transferred to the provincial jail once the court issues a commitment order.
Calibre also confirmed the validated report that ecstacy has been circulating in the city as they are also monitoring more personalities belonging to prominent families who are identified to be ecstacy dependents.
"Daghan ta gi-monitor pero kailangan pa more validation. Ang information nga na-validate namo is ecstacy is circulating in the city. Nakasulod ang ecstacy unya naa tay identified personalities nga gagamit ani," Calibre said.
The PDEA warns everybody especially the parents to closely monitor the activities of their children due to the latest in-demand of recreational drugs such as ecstacy and gamma benzene hexachloride (GBH).
Calibre added that ecstacy remains the third choice of drug dependents in the city next to “marijuana” and “shabu” which are the second and first choices of drug users, respectively.
The police and the PDEA both claimed that the suspect was newly identified drug suspect in the city.
Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano on Monday, November 7, said he wants President Rodrigo Duterte to reactivate and once again deploy the police in the war against illegal drugs.
Emano said he is worried that drug players may go back to their illegal activities and once again make drugs easily accessible.
"I'm calling on the President to activate the police and other government agencies to continue the anti-illegal drug campaign," Emano said.
Duterte had sidelined the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the drug war following increasing criticism here and abroad regarding the spike in the killings of drug suspects.
The President then directed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) the lead role in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations.
But Emano noted that the PDEA may have the manpower to exclusively implement the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the Duterte administration.
"Tungod sa kakulangon sa pwersa sa PDEA which is not even 10 percent sa PNP nga galisod paman gani sa pagkaya unsaon na lang kung ibilin sa PDEA," Emano said.
But the capitol's top official believes that the regional anti-narcotics agents have been doing their best efforts to solve the drug menace in the country.
The governor said anyone has the right to bring to courts any police abuses in the implementation of the drug war.
"Sayang kaayo nga nasugdan na unya dili masustain and I agree that there will be cases and cases should be continue kung nakita nga nayatakan ang tawhanong katungod," Emano said.