By Jennifer P. Rendon
An elderly couple and two others were arrested in a police anti-narcotics operation evening of April 7, 2022 in City Proper district, Iloilo City.
Police identified the suspects as spouses Lourdes Zamora alias Nanay, 64, and Patricio Zamora, 66; and Ma. Dulce Zamora, 34, all residents of Zona Uma, Barangay Monica Bluementritt, City Proper.
Ma. Dulce is Patricio’s daughter from a previous relationship.
Also arrested was Ma. Dulce’s 19-year-old live-in partner Jake Anatalio, a resident of Zone 12, Barangay Calaparan, Molo,Iloilo City.
The elderly couple and Ma. Dulce are considered high value individual (HVI) drug personalities while Anatalio is tagged as a street level pusher.
Operatives of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU)-6, together with members of the Iloilo City Police Station 1, arrested the four suspects after they allegedly connived to sell a sachet of suspected shabu for P8,000.
Police recovered from the suspects eight sachets of suspected shabu, the P8,000 buy-bust money, and several non-drug items.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, RPDEU-6 chief, said the seized drugs weighed around 40 grams and valued at P272,000.
Ex-convicts
Darroca said arrests and jails are nothing new to the Zamora family.
On April 2011, Lourdes was arrested for violation of Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) Article II of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act pf 2002).
But she was released Aug. 15, 2018 after serving her sentence.
On the other hand, Patricio was arrested on July 2001 and was released December 2013. He remains under probation.
Dulce was arrested for violation of Section 5 (Sale, Trading, Administration, Dispensation, Delivery, Distribution and Transportation of Dangerous Drugs) of RA 9165 on April 18, 2018.
She entered into a plea bargaining agreement and was released June 2019.
Darroca said the family used their sari-sari store and carinderia as fronts for their alleged illegal drug trade.
All four suspects are now detained and will be charged for violation of RA 9165.
