P150T drugs seized from suspect

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Up to P150,000 worth of suspected shabu was confiscated from a man believed to be a scion of a family of drug pushers Saturday morning in Bais City, Negros Oriental.

Jose V. Ardosa III was arrested by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the province and the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Bais City Police Station after a search was done in his residence in Motherita Homes in Barangay La Paz.

PDEA Negros Oriental head Johnna Mirador told The FREEMAN in a phone interview that Ardosa allegedly belongs to a family known to be involved in the drug trade in Bais City. His father Jose Jr. was arrested for alleged involvement in illegal drugs in 2015.

Ardosa’s sister, Isolde Ardosa Tantengco, and his niece, Lovanne Ardosa Tan, were also included as subjects in the said search warrant but were able to escape.

Tantengco’s husband, Norman Nikolai, was shot dead by unidentified men who were riding a motorcycle in Dumaguete City last May 6. An owner of a local security agency, Norman Nikolai, was also arrested for drug-related violations in 2015, which led authorities to consider drugs as an angle for the motive behind his killing, according to city police chief, Superintendent Jonathan Pineda.

When asked if Isolde’s involvement in drugs had something to do with her husband’s murder last month, Mirador said that the two incidents are so far unrelated.

She also noted that the PDEA has long been tracking the three subjects, as they have been in the agency’s target list.

Nine sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated weight of 20 grams were seized from Ardosa, along with drug paraphernalia. The sachets have an estimated street value of up to P150,000.

Ardosa is now being detained at the Dumaguete City Police Station under PDEA custody. He will be facing charges for violating provisions of Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (FREEMAN)