Anti-drug operation in Ormoc nets 6 suspected pushers, users

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, May 5 (PNA) -– The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Eastern Visayas regional office arrested six persons in two separate areas tagged “one-time big time” operation on Tuesday night in the city’s two villages.

One of the arrested was 37-year-old Christopher Nodalo following a buy bust at his house in Alta Vista Village located beside Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for possessing suspected drugs estimated of not less than 50 grams.

Also seized from him was an unlicensed caliber .38 revolver with five live ammunition and the marked money.

Nodalo said he has a standing offense of robbery filed on 2013 for which he posted bail of PHP28,000.00 more than a month ago.

PDEA Agent Frederick Ocaña said that based on surveillance, the jobless suspect is involved in drug trading despite the short time of enjoying temporary freedom.

Nodalo however rebutted the allegation and even denied possessing the confiscated items inside his house.

Village chief Myrna Mangle confessed she once talked to Nodalo and requested to stop in his prohibited activity. The official thanked the police for suppressing the supposed spread of significant volume of prohibited substance.

Nodalo was turned over to police station 1. Charges were prepared against him for violations of Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly drug selling and possession and violation of Comelec gun ban.

Earlier in the evening, the same operatives in coordination with police station 1 led by Chief Insp. Castor Cabilogan raided District 4, Mabini Street.

Jorge Garcia, 35, single, triggered the arrest of five others after he sold one sachet of suspected shabu to a PDEA agent.

When asked where he got the item, Garcia, who lives in nearby village, accompanied the cops to the house within the vicinity owned by Richard Rapales, 42, that was later discovered to have been used as drug den.

Rapales was arrested for possession of suspected dried marijuana leaves, shabu and various paraphernalia yielded at the scene.

Arrested along with him were Romeo D. Crisostomo, 31, single, on-call cellphone technician and resident of Naungan village; Dionesio C. Wenceslao, 35, married, jobless and living in Dayhagan village; and Franklin D. Amador, 39, single, jobless and neighbor of Rapales in Dist. 4, all of this city.

Garcia admitted he sold the item to a poseur-buyer cop earlier. He also declared selling the items to “walk-ins” adding PHP30 per sachet from the original price as profit.

Rapales also disclosed asking PHP20 per person for duping inside his house. He denied selling prohibited substance though. Six of them claimed being “users.”

Charges for violations of Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were prepared against the suspects. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/ELVIE R. ROA/EGR