6 nabbed in drug busts

CEBU, Philippines — Six suspected drug personalities, including two cousins, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova, Cebu.

In Barangay San Miguel, Cordova, police arrested Monday afternoon Jason Amang, 20, and cousins Keejay Manayon, 18, and Mejie Manayon, 27, residents of the same barangay, and Aldrin Lato, 23, a resident of Barangay Cogon, Cordova.

Lato and Manayon are street-level drug pushers, according to Senior Inspector Ceralde Clemente Jr., Cordova Police Station chief.

The two, Clemente said, have been partners in selling illegal drugs in the town.

Six small sachets of shabu were seized from Lato and Manayon.

Also recovered from Lato was a .38 caliber revolver loaded with live ammunition  while an improvised gun was confiscated from Manayon.

Amang and Mejie, on the other hand, were each caught in possession of a packet of shabu.

In a separate operation in Sitio Ahong, Barangay Agus in Lapu-Lapu City, police arrested Ramel Etcobanez, 29, and his cohort, Lotchel Iman, 31, both residents of the said barangay, in a buy-bust operation Saturday evening.

Chief Inspector Juan Capacio of Marigondon Police Station 4 said seven sachets of shabu worth P1,660 were seized from Etcobanez.

Also recovered from the suspects were P200 cash believed to be proceeds from their illegal drug trade and P200 in marked money.

All suspects are temporarily detained at the respective police precincts pending the filing of appropriate charges against them for violating the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. —KBQ (FREEMAN)