46 arrested for illegal drugs in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — At least 46 persons were arrested for illegal drugs in various parts of Metro Manila over the past two days.

Thirty-three of those arrested were in Quezon City; three in Pasay, including a 15-year-old boy; and 13 in eastern Metro Manila.

Among them are businessman Ronald Pineda, 45, and Dante Destura, 31, who were arrested in a sting in Barangay Old Balara, Quezon City at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Director Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said Pineda used his water refilling station as a front in delivering illegal drugs to clients.

A police officer from the NCRPO’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit posed as a buyer and arranged to buy 25 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu for P70,000 from Pineda and both parties agreed to meet at Pineda’s home.

Police seized a total of 100 grams of shabu, with a street value of P680,000, from the two men.

According to Eleazar, Pineda used to live in Barangay Pacundo in Pasay City and was arrested twice by the local police for drug pushing in 2008 but was released.

He moved to Quezon City and continued to sell illegal drugs, Eleazar added.

Family business

Also in Quezon City, three members of a family were caught in a sting in Barangay San Martin de Porres at around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Ramram Abordo, 29; his wife Joanna, 34; Joanna’s father, Renato, 62; and Celos Carillo, 53, were arrested for selling shabu to a policeman who posed as a drug buyer.

Eleven sachets of an undetermined quantity of shabu were seized from them, according to Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr., Quezon City Police District director.

Charmed

In Manila, a man who was high on drugs and claiming to possess an “anting-anting” or charm attacked two policemen Thursday night.

Francisco Pagudar, 45, a member of the jailhouse gang Batang City Jail, told investigators he sniffed shabu and model airplane glue  to get high and wanted to test his charm, which he believed would protect him from harm.

Pagudar, using a screwdriver, attacked Police Officers 1 Adrian Legaspi and Bienvenido Ducusin as the lawmen were patrolling the intersection of Asuncion street and C.M. Recto Avenue at around 8 p.m.

Ducusin was wounded in the stomach and back. Legaspi tried to shoot Pagudar but his gun misfired, giving the suspect enough time to flee.

Pagudar was arrested after a brief chase. He suffered injuries when other detainees ganged up on him after he was put in a cell.

Pagudar, who was previously arrested for illegal wire-tapping, was charged with assault on a person of authority, serious physical injury and violating the anti-illegal drug law.

In Marikina, senior high school student Cesario Caparas, 18, and his 17-year-old companion were arrested in a sting in Barangay San Roque at around 6 p.m. Thursday.

Twenty-three ziplock bags of dried marijuana leaves, P1,000 marked money and a belt bag were seized from Caparas and his companion, police said. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Rey Galupo, Ghio Ong,