Police seize over 2T marijuana plants in Danao City

CEBU, Philippines - What could have been a police operation against a wanted person has led to the discovery of a marijuana plantation in Sitio Panaliwad-on, Barangay Sibacan, Danao City.

A team of policemen from Danao City Police Office went to Sibacan last Tuesday supposedly to serve the warrant of arrest against Rodelito Oliverio who is wanted for frustrated murder. SPO1 Bryan Batiquin, who led the operation, said they received information about the presence of the accused in the area.

Batiquin said they immediately acted on the information but the accused was able to leave the place before they arrived. Although they failed to arrest Oliverio, the effort did not go in vain as they were able to find 1,312 fully-grown marijuana plants worth P70,000 and 846 seedlings.

The police uprooted the illegal plants which are now being deposited at the Danao City police headquarters.

Meanwhile, an alleged drug user was also caught by the police in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, Cebu City yesterday afternoon. Fil John Deza, 23, a native of Moalboal, Cebu, was arrested by the elements of the Cebu City Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB) at around 3 p.m. while they were in a hot pursuit operation against a robbery suspect.

The police were in Lorega-San Miguel looking for a robbery suspect who robbed a college student of his P30, 000 cash last Tuesday.

Chief Inspector Bonifacio Garciano, IDMB Chief, said his men were only following on a tip about the presence of the robbery suspect when they chanced upon Deza and several other companions inside a suspected drug den.

Deza was arrested with several ampoules of Nubain and drug paraphernalia while his companions were able to escape. Deza is now detained at the Cebu City Police Office. — Ria Mae Y. Booc and Ryan Christopher J. Sorote/FPL (THE FREEMAN)