No bail for two arrested in San Remigio buy-bust
The Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office has recommended no bail for the two people arrested in a drug operation that yielded over P23 million worth of drugs in San Remigio town Friday.
Maribel Arcenal, 33, and her brother-in-law, Eduardo Arcenal, 45, are facing charges for violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Police Officer 2 Gabriel Opoc Jr. of the Cebu Provincial Intelligence Branch said that the two opted not to file counteraffidavits during the inquest proceedings Wednesday afternoon.
Instead, Maribel and Eduardo manifested to face the charges in court.
The two accused were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio Friday evening.
The PIB operatives seized more than two kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P23.6 million from the suspects.
Two kilos of shabu were found in Maribel’s shoulder bag while four medium packs of shabu were confiscated from the possession of Eduardo.
PIB chief Rodolfo Albotra said in an earlier interview that Maribel’s husband, Reynaldo, has been detained at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) after he was arrested for the same offense in 2011.
Since then, Maribel reportedly took over Reynaldo’s illegal activities with Eduardo’s assistance.
Maribel and Eduardo were under surveillance for a month prior to the operation.
The police received information that the suspects sold illegal drugs in the entire province, including Cebu City.
Maribel transacted with a police decoy. Both parties agreed to deliver P10,000 worth of illegal drugs to Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio wherein the PIB operatives were already positioned in the area.
Maribel and Eduardo earlier denied the allegations against them.
The cases against the two were filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo City yesterday.
The two accused are currently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Medellin town.
Meanwhile, a suspected drug pusher was arrested while another was injured after he tried to shoot police officers conducting a buy-bust operation in Barangay Magdugo, Toledo City past 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
The operation led to the confiscation of more than P500,000 worth of shabu.
Romnick Abalde, 26, the subject of the operation, was arrested after he sold a pack of shabu to a police poseur-buyer while Ryan Abalde, 28, Romnick’s cohort was arrested while trying to escape.
Aladin Manguray, Abalde’s cohort who served as a lookout, allegedly pulled out a .38 cal. revolver and tried to shoot the police officers but another cop saw Manguray with the gun and shot him, hitting him in the butt.
Manguray managed to run and board a motorcycle with Ryan Abalde.
However, the police were able to call for backup and immediately set up a blocking force to seize the suspects.
The two were intercepted in Barangay Juan Climaco, Sr. Magdugo, Toledo City.
The police recovered the revolver with 5 live ammo, three large packs of suspected shabu and a fragmentation grenade from Manguray. They also seized three large pack of suspected shabu from the Ryan Abalde.
The confiscated shabu was worth P550,000, based on the Dangerous Drugs Board’s estimate.
In another operation, three persons, including two minors, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group7 by virtue of a search warrant in Barangay Basdiot, Moalboal town yesterday morning.
Wilson Legara, 28, a suspected drug den manager, and two minors aged 15 and 17, were arrested after they were caught selling drugs.
However, Dave Aquino, the respondent of the search warrant, managed to elude arrest.
Superintendent Fermin Armendarez, deputy chief of CIDG-7, said that Aquino was under surveillance for a month. After confirming Aquino’s alleged illegal transactions, they applied for a search warrant which was later issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 10 Presiding Judge Soliver Peras.
The police arrested Legara, who served as Aquino’s right hand and is reportedly managing the drug den.
Recovered during the operation were several packs of suspected shabu worth close to P100,000, drug paraphernalia, a magazine of KG9 and .45 cal. pistols with live ammo and an improvised shot gun.
The arrested minors, said Armendarez, admitted to selling drugs and were reportedly asked by Aquino to sell drugs in exchange for ball caps and branded shirts.
Armendarez said that the minors have been turned over to Moalboal Municipal Social Welfare Development Office.
He added that if the minors will execute a sworn statement that they were used by Aquino for his illegal activity, he will be charged by the CIDG with child abuse on top of the violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.