Market administrator, 4 others nabbed over drugs in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines - Five people, including a 60-year-old municipal market administrator, were arrested during a raid on a suspected drug den in Cebu province, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Friday.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. identified the suspects as Jose Perfecto Amadora Sr., administrator of Dumanjug Municipal Market in Cebu; Loverjan Castro, 20; Michael Piega, 40; Ronilo Meguiso, 33; and Emilio Sabino, 33.

Amadora is included in the list of targeted drug personalities of Central Visayas and the co-leader of Nilo Quirante Drug Group operating in the province, Cacdac added.

Belated reports reaching the PDEA main office in Quezon City showed that last May 7, elements of PDEA Regional Office 7 implemented the search warrant issued by Judge Wilfredo Navarro, Presiding Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in Cebu City on Amadora’s house in Barangay Cogon, Dumanjug, Cebu.

During the search, operatives were able to recover 20 plastic sachets containing approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, assorted drug paraphernalia, two Caspian cal .40 pistols, around 500 rounds of ammunition and cash in different denominations amounting to P2,167 believed to be proceeds of illegal drug activities.

"Amadora also maintained a drug den complex behind his house where four of its suspected customers were arrested and several drug paraphernalia were found,” Cacdac said.

Amadora will be charged for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 12 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia), Article II, of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, while the four men will face charges for violation of Section 7 (Visitors of a Drug Den).