4 drug pushers arrested in Pasig

Police arrested four suspected drug pushers, who yielded six sachets of shabu and drug sniffing paraphernalia during a raid on two houses in Pasig City yesterday.

However, a certain Arcadio de Leon, the subject of a search warrant, eluded arrest and is now the subject of a manhunt by the local police.

Nabbed were Joseph Garcia, 42, jobless; Percival Santos, 46, driver; Angelito Castillo, 46, vendor, and Mark Anthony Marcelo, 36, driver.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief, said De Leon and Castillo were listed in the order of battle of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Uyami said they learned of the suspects’ drug pushing activities through reports forwarded by concerned citizens.

"Marami kaming text messages na natatanggap at maging yung mga opisyal ng barangay ay nagkukumpirma na talamak daw talaga ang pagtutulak ng shabu sa lugar," he said.

The Pasig City police chief ordered Senior Inspector Lorenzo Trajano, head of the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU), to conduct a test buy, which yielded positive results.

They then applied for a search warrant against De Leon before Judge Reynaldo Ros, of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 33.

Armed with a warrant, Trajano led his men in staging raids at Kalye Gipit, Barangay Bambang at 11:30 a.m.

Elements of the Station Investigation and Intelligence Branch, Criminal Investigation Unit and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) cordoned off the area, but De Leon managed to escape.

The four suspects were nabbed inside the two houses.

Recovered from them were at least six sachets of shabu worth P18,000 and drug sniffing paraphernalia.

Police said the two houses were being used as drug dens.

Uyami ordered the filing of possession of illegal drug charges against the suspects who are detained at the Pasig City jail.