2 men, teen caught with P300,000 marijuana

MANILA, Philippines — Two men and a teenager – all of whom reportedly sold illegal drugs to students – were arrested in separate stings in Metro Manila since Thursday.

Jayson Marcio Proda, 24, and Julius Cesar Ilagan, 32, were arrested at Proda’s house in Barangay Bambang, Pasig City at past 2 a.m. yesterday.

Proda is reportedly behind the sale of marijuana in schools in Quezon City and eastern Metro Manila.

He was arrested after selling 48 packs of marijuana for P5,000 to a police officer who posed as a buyer, said Chief Superintendent Alfred Corpus, Eastern Police District director.

A search of Proda’s house yielded another six blocks of marijuana with a street value of P300,000; two glass pipes with traces of marijuana; six empty bottles with marijuana residue; a digital weighing scale; two bundles of paper bags; P22,000 cash and a mobile phone.

In Taguig City, 18-year-old Princess Arellago Cordero was arrested in a sting Thursday night.

At least 180 sachets of dried marijuana leaves, a disposable lighter, a pair of scissors, a transparent storage box and a paper bag were seized from Cordero during the operation in Barangay Ibayo Tipas at past 8 p.m.

Cordero, an out-of-school youth, allegedly sold each sachet for P125 to her customers, mostly students from Taguig, Pateros and Pasig, according to Taguig police chief Senior Superintendent Alexander Santos.

 In Caloocan, at least 100 grams of shabu with a street value of P500,000 were seized from Mariam Jabibon, a 49-year-old housewife, in a sting in front of a supermarket at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

Meanwhile, police stations under the Southern Police District – Pasay, Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Pateros – arrested 22 persons and seized 21 sachets of shabu, including 10 sachets from Taguig worth P54,500, since Thursday night.

Eight other persons were arrested in eastern Metro Manila in the past two days.

Vendor Angelo Lechor was arrested for creating trouble in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina at around 9 a.m. Thursday. A sachet of shabu was seized from him.

Nikson Marcaida, a construction worker, was arrested for smoking in a public place in Barangay IVC at around 6:30 p.m. He tried but failed to escape while being issued a violation receipt. A sachet of shabu was found on his person.

Federico San Pascual and Cecile Canlas were reportedly comparing sachets of shabu when they were spotted by police officers in Barangay Tumana.

At past midnight yesterday, a 15-year-old minor was arrested for drug pushing in Barangay Tumana.

Rogelaine Lara, Salvador Lobo and Rommel Bulata were arrested in separate stings in San Juan City.– Romina Cabrera, Ghio Ong, Rey Galupo