Students order shabu via text

CEBU, Philippines - A 19-year-old IT student who quit his part-time job to sell illegal drugs to pay his tuition was among the seven drug personalities nabbed by the operatives of Provincial Intelligence Branch and Moalboal police in three buy-bust operations in Moalboal, Thursday afternoon and evening.

According to Laurence Bryan Barbarono, 19, a resident of Barangay Saavedra, Moalboal, many of his customers are students like him. He added that most of their transactions were done through text messages.

“Text-text lang, ang ako lang ba nga pangbayad lang sa tuition di man g’yud ko unta ani ba ug dili lang tungod sa kawad-on,” said Barbarono, who lives on his own after his parents separated.

“Sayang kaayo ug kahibawo pa lang ko. Ulahi na gyud ang pagbasol,” added Barbarono who is already third year college.

PIB chief, Superintendent Joie Pacito Yape, said that Barbarono was recruited as a drug runner by the couple Joven Novela, 37; and Eva Mae Bohol, 27, currently residing in Barangay Basdiot.

Novela and Bohol, considered high-value targets, were arrested in a separate operation Thursday afternoon, according to Yape.

He added that Novela got his supply from a certain “Etchel” who was nabbed in an operation by the Talisay City police. Allegedly, Etchel was one of the underlings of alleged suspected drug lord Steve Go who was detained in the Talisay City Jail before being transferred to Mandaue.

During an interview, Novela and Bohol admitted the allegations against them. Novela said that he got his supply in Tabunok and sold it in Moalboal and other neighboring towns through their street-level pushers.

Also arrested in the operation were Jeremy Balbuena, 23; Renato Apostol Jr., 24; Rowell Vincent Harap, 29; and Jose Eyac Jr., 18.

Operatives confiscated a total of 85 grams of suspected shabu from the seven arrested suspects, amounting to almost P1 million.

Meanwhile, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 operatives arrested a jail guard of the Bohol District Jail after allegedly catching him in the act of receiving and sneaking illegal drugs into the facility.

PDEA-7 spokeswoman Leia Albiar said that the operatives were following another drug personality when they caught Ernesto Vistal, 47, receiving suspected shabu from their subject.

“Dali nga gi-inform sa atong mga agents ang taga-facility ug didto nasakpan nga kini si Vistal naay gipang-itsa nga mga putos didto sa sulod sa selda ug nakita nga shabu ang sulod. Tawo-tawo ni siya atong mga naa sa prisohan,” said Albiar.

Recovered from Vistal were as estimated 50 grams of suspected shabu worth P300,000. He will be charged for violating Criminal Liability of Government Official and Employment and for illegal possession of suspected shabu.

In Talisay City, two drug personalities were arrested by police in Sito Magay, Barangay Tanke, Thursday around 8 p.m.

Arrested were Armando Digal, alias “Magu”, 36, and Lemuel Cabanes, 35, both residents of Sitio Rattan, Barangay Tanke.

Earlier, police received a call from a concerned citizen regarding the two men allegedly selling drugs.

Police Officer 3 Junyl Ater said while they were conducting a patrol they came upon the two suspects who matched the description given by the caller and frisked them.

They seized 15 packs of suspected shabu from Digal and another 14 packs from Cabanes. All items recovered weighed 1.16 grams and had an estimated value of P5,800.

Meanwhile, Geofrey Sabayton, 38, of Barangay South Poblacion, San Fernando, Cebu; and Adolfo Bacacao Dela Cruz, 43, of Barangay Bagacay, Sibonga, Cebu, were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Sibonga town, Cebu, Thursday night, after allegedly selling P200,000 worth of illegal drugs.

Senior Police Office 2 Jason Oyangoren said after the operation, the operatives immediately went inside the house occupied by the two and seized 14 sachets of suspected shabu.

"Wala man sad hinuon nisukol ang mga suspetsado," he said.

The suspects are now detained at the Sibonga Police Station. (FREEMAN)