20 held in weekend drug stings in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines - At least 20 suspected drug personalities were apprehended by police in separate operations in Metro Manila over the weekend.

Twelve of the drug suspects were rounded up in Quezon City.

 Arvin Lauriano, 18; Elmer Bumagat, 26; Elsa Bumagat, 47; Elsie Bumagat, 18, and Queenie Ariane Baduy, 24, were nabbed during a drug sting at a house in Barangay Escopa 3 on Saturday.

Police said the suspects were caught engaged in a pot session.

The suspects allegedly yielded 11 sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and the marked money.

Jenneth Hipolito, 39, and Efren Bunayon, 29, were arrested in a drug bust in front of a gas station in Barangay Tandang Sora.

They reportedly yielded five sachets of shabu and P200 in marked money.

Members of the La Loma police nabbed four men for alleged shabu possession in Barangay Apolonio Samson at around 9 a.m. yesterday.

They were Allan Nabayra, 37; Reynaldo Martin, 32; Eduardo Espiritu Santo, 28, and Mandan Ponkeyas, 18.

Alex Francisco was allegedly caught with three sachets of shabu during an anti-drug operation in Barangay Tatalon.

In Manila, five men were apprehended in an anti-narcotics operation.

John Paul Chavez, 36; Louie de la Cruz, 32; Joren Jimenez, 25; Roel Diamante, 42, and Enrique Palonson, 42, were nabbed by members of the Pandacan police in a raid on a house along Gomez street in Barangay 823.

Police said they recovered five sachets of shabu from the suspects.

The suspects are being held by police on charges of violating Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

In Pasig City, an alleged drug peddler was arrested in a sting in Barangay San Nicolas.

Raffiodin Paouti, 29, was on the drug watchlist, police said.

Paouti was nabbed after he allegedly sold shabu to a policeman who posed as a buyer.

Anti-narcotics officers said they recovered five sachets of shabu from the suspect.

In San Juan, suspected drug pushers Manuel Sasing and Mark Joseph Moso were arrested in an operation in Barangay San Perfecto.

Sasing and Moso allegedly yielded P300 worth of shabu.