In separate police operations: P16 million illegal drugs seized

CEBU, Philippines — Drugs worth at least P14.7 million were seized from a couple and their alleged cohort during a buy-bust operation in Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City last Tuesday night.

Police arrested Adel Villafuerte, his wife Jasmin, and a certain Ronnel Ylanan. 

The Carbon police consider Adel a high-level target, but his wife and Ylanan are not on the watchlist.

Senior Insp. Rodgene Fudotan, the chief of the Jagobiao Police Station 3 in Mandaue City, said their police asset communicated with Ylanan for a possible purchase and it was Ylanan who said they had to get their supply of drugs from Barangay Pahina Central.

The police asset met Ylanan in Barangay Lorega San Miguel and proceeded to Barangay Pahina Central where the Villafuerte couple lived. It was there that they took a large pack of shabu weighing 1,250 grams.

It was only after the sale that the asset revealed his true identity and the police swooped in on the suspects.

Fudotan said the PNP team confiscated a small sachet from Adel and two other sachets each from Jasmin and Ylanan. They also recovered cash amounting to P10,000.

Other Operations

Meanwhile, two separate anti-illegal drug operations in the province resulted in the arrest of two high-value targets including a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman and his cohort, yesterday morning and Tuesday evening.

In Barangay Gaas Balamban, police arrested SK Chairman Regie Abanto a resident of the barangay and his cohort, Renan Sotto, from Barangay Luz.

The two yielded 12 grams of shabu worth P141,600.

Police Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena said Abanto is not on the watchlist and his name surfaced only during interviews with drug suspects that have been arrested recently.

With Abanto’s arrest, the Cebu Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) urged the SK in the province to be more vigilant in the fight against illegal drugs.

CPADAP head Ivy Durano-Meca said an SK councilor in Danao City also tested positive of drug use during a drug test in July. She said the involvement of young government officials in the drug trade worries and surprises her.

“I would like to call on the federation of SK to get involved sa campaign on illegal drugs kay it has to be their federation to do something about their members,” Meca said.

She said it will be the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that will determine who will replace Abanto.

Meanwhile, in Alegria town, police arrested Francisco Ocaña, 46, for possession of 110 grams of shabu valued at P1,298,000. — with Le Phyllis F. Antojado, JMO (FREEMAN)