13 arrested in Manila drug raids

MANILA, Philippines – Thirteen people were arrested by police in separate drug raids in Tondo and Sampaloc, Manila over the weekend.

Arnel Canlas, 43; Rodrigo Marinas, 57; Rolando Orillo, 41; Alexander Puyales, 39; Liezel de los Santos, 44, and Marilyn Belandres, 42, were nabbed after anti-drug operatives raided the Permanent Housing building in Tondo on Saturday.

Superintendent Redentor Ulsano, Manila Police District (MPD) Station 1 commander, said the raid was conducted after a police officer managed to buy two sachets of shabu from one of the suspects.

Canlas is No. 9 in the MPD’s list of drug suspects, Ulsano said.

The police raiders confiscated 13 packets of shabu, a .38-caliber revolver with ammunition and the marked money used in the sting.

The other suspects were arrested in an anti-drug operation in Sampaloc. They were identified as Maritess Celocia, Joemer de Leon, Nino Pineda, Danny Crispo, Arnold Pineda, Romulo Benito and Reynaldo de los Santos.

Charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act and illegal possession of firearms are being readied against the suspects.

Meanwhile, a man identified only as “Ricky” was arrested in a drug sting along Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City at past 3 p.m. yesterday.

Police officers confiscated two kilos of shabu, with an estimated street value of P10 million, from the suspect’s Honda Civic (USS 815), said Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa, who heads the city police’s anti-drug unit.

He said the suspect is reportedly linked to two Chinese nationals arrested for carrying P5 million worth of shabu along C. P. Garcia Avenue on May 11. – With Romina Cabrera