By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 40-year-old wife from Pavia, Iloilo surely knows how to make a living.
But Sheila Marie Nueva’s income-generating activity proved to be short-lived.
Nueva was arrested afternoon of March 11 at her home in Barangay Cabugao Sur, Pavia after police learned that she was into illegal drugs trading.
Members of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU) and the Pavia Municipal Police Station nabbed the suspect after selling a sachet of suspected shabu for P20,000.
Recovered from her possession were six sachets of suspected shabu including the buy-bust item, the P20,000 marked money, and several non-drug items.
Major Rolando Araño, IPPO spokesperson and concurrent Pavia police chief, said the seized drugs weighed around 75 grams with a standard drug price value of P510,000.
Araño said Nueva had no prior drug arrest. She was not even subjected to Oplan Tokhang.
But around January 2023, her name cropped up in the narcotics trade after the arrest of another drug pusher.
“It appeared that she was a bodegera (stockkeeper). She kept the illegal drug supply sold to drug pushers. But she also went to drug pushing, maybe, to increase her income,” Araño said.
Nueva allegedly sourced the supply from Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
But some transactions also emanated from jail facilities.
Nueva is now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
