A 17-YEAR-old drug personality was caught in a drug bust in Kalubihan, District 2, Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion, Cebu, at 11:55 p.m. Tuesday, August 22.
Supt. Mina Domingo, the town police chief, said the boy knew that what he did was illegal and he had been listed as a street-level target. “There is a liability since he acted with discernment and he was already a surrenderer,” she said.
The boy’s mother had no knowledge that he was selling shabu, but she told the police she was a former pusher herself. His father is a construction worker. “He started pushing this year. He can dispose of items, P5,000 per day,” said Domingo.
The boy was allegedly recruited by Jona Gonzales, who was already caught by Consolacion police. His relatives, who have links to a pusher in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, are also his suppliers.
During the operation, the local Drug Enforcement Unit operatives seized 0.35 gram of white crystals believed to be shabu worth P4,130, a Dangerous Drugs Board estimate. Last July 18, two minors were caught in a drug bust in Barangay Pitogo, Consolacion, yielding seven grams of shabu worth more than P80,000.
One of the many minors is the daughter of Dante Rubin “Dansoy” Jalang, the former number one drug pusher in Cebu Province, who was caught in a drug bust.
In Cebu City, Senior Supt. Joel Doria said they arrested 31 minors engaged in selling illegal drugs.
Doria, the city police director, said one of the minors caught yielded an unlicensed firearm.
In Consolacion, Mina said the boy was turned over to the social welfare office, which will issue a certificate that the boy acted with discernment before the police can file charges against him for violating the Sections 5 and 11 (selling and possession of illegal drugs) of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Violation of RA 9165’s Section 5 is a non-bailable offense, but the RA 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006) allows minor offenders to post bail. The court will order to have a minor placed in the Operation Second Chance if their guardian cannot post bail, which is usually set at P200,000 for minors.
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)