CEBU (Updated) -- Three minors, a 17-year-old and two 15-year-old boys, were rescued from a drug den in Barangay Tejero, Cebu City, on Thursday afternoon, August 10.
They were turned over to the social welfare office for counseling.
The target of the operation, Jessica Ornieta, known as Popcorn in the neighborhood, escaped arrest.
Authorities arrested five suspected drug users in the drug den. They were identified as Inocencio Cuyos, Ralph Simon Roca, Donald Cuizon, Evelyn Bendenillo and Wilfredo Ocaba.
Recovered from the drug den were 34 grams of white crystals believed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” worth P401,000 and a .22 revolver.
Ornieta and the suspected drug users will be charged with violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said that drug groups used minors as couriers to avoid arrest and prosecution in courts.
Last July 17, four minors were rescued after a drug bust in Carcar City.
On the following day, police arrested two minors in a drug bust. Ten days later, still in Consolacion, 11 minors were rescued from the house of a job-order employee of Consolacion Municipal Hall.
Rescued minors who are not involved in selling shabu often undergo intervention by social workers.
Violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act’s Section 5 (selling) is a non-bailable offense, but Republic Act (RA) 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006) allows minor offenders to post bail.
RA 9344’s Section 6 states that a 15-year-old offender is exempted from any criminal liability and “a child above 15 years but below 18 years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act.” (KAL)