AT LEAST 13 laborers working in a construction site in Barangay Apas, Cebu City were arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) after they were caught holding a pot session in a suspected drug den on Saturday morning, April 10, 2021
Assisted by personnel of the 32nd Military Intelligence Company and the 7th Intelligence Service Unit, PDEA 7 operatives arrested the 13 laborers inside their construction site in Sitio Apas Central at around 7 a.m.
Arrested during the operation were Angel Candillada, 44, who was identified as the owner of the suspected drug den; and drug den visitors Jasper Mabitado, 24; Jaysson Candillada, 21; Clint Mark Alferes, 32; Jaime Zaspa, 41; Grego rio Donganciso, 27; Rogelio Baculi, 27; Pedro Respecio, 34; Ronel Sereneo, 33; Jester Lozada, 32; Arnel Hermosa, 38; Joeferson Denuyo, 27 and Abraham Estrella, 48.
Recovered from the suspects were 163 small packs of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P68,000, a motorcycle and four cellphones and various illegal drug paraphernalia.
Leia Alcantara, PDEA 7 information officer, said it took them two months to conduct surveillance on the suspected drug den.
Alcantara said they closely coordinated with military intelligence officials in Cebu as the drug den was situated near Camp Lapu Lapu, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philip pines (AFP) Central Command.
Alcantara refused to divulge the identity of the construction firm in which the 13 laborers were employed.
She disclosed that the 13 laborers reportedly sniffed the drugs inside the construction site before they started work.
Alcantara said they are still trying to determine who supplied the illegal drugs to the laborers. (AYB / JKV)