Boy, 15, faces drug case

CEBU, Philippines — A 15-year-old boy is facing charges in court for allegedly having illegal drugs in his possession.

Prosecutor II Benison Harayo held the accused, a resident of Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City for trial after finding probable cause in the complaint filed by the police.

Harayo recommended P200,000 bail for the boy’s temporary liberty.

In their joint-affidavit, Police Officers 2 Noe Orio, Arnel Cabardo, Michael Rhey Cabizares, and Police Officer 1 Jason Famor said while they were conducting foot patrol on February 24, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in Barangay Sambag 2, they saw a boy walking.

While they were about three to five meters away from the boy, Cabardo said he saw him pull out something from his pocket.

“As he pulled his pocket, I saw a small sachet containing suspected shabu,” he said, adding that it fell to the ground.

Cabardo chased the minor and told to open his right palm.

The minor, who was stunned, opened his right palm, and they saw three small sachets of powder believed to be shabu.

They arrested the boy and informed him of his constitutional rights.

Upon examination, the evidence seized was positive for the presence of methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu.

Arrested

Meanwhile, four newly identified drug personalities were arrested in a series of buy-bust operations in Barangay Linao and Tanke, Talisay City yesterday.

Arrested were Loreto Legazpi Jr., 19, Regie Cañedo 26, Eduardo Abarquez, 44, residents of Barangay Linao, Talisay City, and Christian Niño Carbonilla, 28,  of Sitio Kilawan Barangay Tanke.

According to SPO1 Achiles Cabando, the station received information about the illegal drug transactions of Legazpi and Carbonilla.

Around 12:30 a.m., the police went to Barangay Linao and conducted a buy-bust operation against Legazpi.

After a successful transaction, they recovered 13 small packs of suspected shabu from his possession and P500 marked money.

Minutes later in the same area, police caught Cañedo having in his possession two small packs of suspected shabu.

Hours later at around 2 a.m., they also arrested Abarquez for allegedly having in his possession six small packs of suspected shabu.

Then more than an hour later, they proceeded to Sitio Kilawan, Barangay Tanke to validate the information they received against Carbonilla.

When the police spotted the suspect, they conducted a buy bust operation and successfully arrested Carbonilla.

Recovered from his possession were 20 packs of suspected shabu.

All in all, 41 small packs of suspected shabu were seized from their possession with an estimated value of around P20,600.

But in a separate interview, the four denied that the items were recovered from them.

Carbonilla said the evidence was planted by the police but admits that sometimes he uses illegal drugs. (FREEMAN)