• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Separate buy bust operations by the police on May 3 led to the arrest a 72-year-old woman and three other drug suspects in cities of Silay and Talisay, Negros Occidental, yielding an estimated P44,000 worth of suspected shabu and dried marijuana leaves.
Ruth dela Cruz, 72, and Glen Secatin, 52, were both apprehended by the police following a buy bust operation on Wednesday at Calle Onse in Sitio Beraño, Brgy. Lantad, Silay City.
The police anti-drug operations led to the confiscation of about five grams of suspected shabu with a market value of P34,000, marked money of P800, and P400 in cash, among other items.
Two more drug suspects identified by the police as Mark John Jimenez and Patrick Bandiola, a 19-year-old student, were also arrested in similar operations at Purok Santan in Brgy Zone 4, Talisay City.
Their arrests yielded 1.5 grams of suspected shabu and 1.5 grams of dried marijuana leaves with a total market value of P10,380, assorted drug paraphernalia, marked money of P500, and P296 in cash.
Dela Cruz, 72, and Bandiola, 19, were both categorized by the police as newly identified drug personalities.
The arrested suspects are now in the custody of the Silay and Talisay police stations.*