By: Jennifer P. Rendon and Glazyl Y. Masculino
INNOCENCE GONE.
Iloilo City
In Mandurriao, Iloilo City, three youngsters from Bacolod City were busted in a sting operation on July 6, 2019.
Police identified the suspects as Christian Gayoso, 20; Joemel Flores, 19; and alias Nonoy, 17. All are residents of Barangay, Banago Bacolod City.
Police Major Marlon Valencia, Mandurriao police chief, said the three suspects were arrested 1:30 a.m. Saturday near a membership-shopping club in Barangay San Rafael.
Gayoso was the subject of the operation while Flores and Nonoy worked for him on a commission basis.
Members of Mandurriao Police Station and the Iloilo City Police Office-City Drug Enforcement Unit (ICPO-CDEU) seized from the suspects six plastic sachets of suspected shabu and P15,500 buy bust money.
Valencia said Gayoso admitted to have been into the trade for about a year already.
He has a supplier in Bacolod City and he personally delivered drugs to buyers in Iloilo City.
Sometimes, their transaction took place near Dumangas wharf in Iloilo province.
Both Gayoso and Flores are now detained while Nonoy was turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
They will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
NEGROS
In Negros Occidental, eight persons, including a male teenager, were also collared in four separate anti-drug operations in the cities of Bacolod and Sagay.
The operations led to the seizure of P262,000 worth of suspected shabu
On July 5, Mario Dequiña, 54, and Richard Aguado, 28, both residents of Barangay Banago; and Charles Pugal, 35, and Christopher Jones Sison, 36, both residents of Barangay Mandalagan were nabbed at Barangay Banago.
Recovered from their possession were seven sachets of suspected shabu weighing 12 grams and valued at P150,000, and the P200 marked money.
All four suspects are detained at Police Station 3.
The following day, Abe Baticados, and Paul John Nazareno were arrested at Barangay 6 after police seized from them three sachets of suspected shabu worth P87,000, and the P500 marked money.
Both suspects are detained at Police Station 8.
Also arrested at Barangay 12 here yesterday was Neil John Hinolan, 18, of Barangay Vista Alegre after he allegedly yielded nine sachets of suspected shabu worth P15,000, the P200 marked money, and drug paraphernalia.
Police Major Jovil Sedel, head of Police Station 1, said Hinolan is a street level target. He is detained at Police Station 1.
In Sagay City, Eleazar Manguilimutan, 39, Barangay Poblacion 1 was arrested at the said village last Saturday.
Police recovered from him 11 sachets of suspected shabu worth P10,000, and the P500 marked money.
Manguilimutan is a level three high value target drug personality in the city.
The involvement of the youth in crimes had prompted moves to further lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) which is currently at 15 years old.
This year, a bill was filed in Congress to adjust the MACR to 12 years old, but it was heavily criticized by human rights advocates as “cruel and unjust.”
