Police arrested four individuals, including a 17-year-old minor, during an anti-drug operation in Barangay Calumpang, Molo District, Iloilo City on Christmas Day.
The suspects, identified as Roel, 21; Rommel, 56; Cecelia, 55; and Nene, 17, all reside in Zone 3, Barangay Calumpang.
Captain Ryan Christ Inot, head of Iloilo City Police Station 4, said that they consider Roel a high-value individual in the local drug trade. Meanwhile, Rommel and Cecelia were classified as street-level pushers.
He said that they had been monitoring the suspects for a month, tracking their activities in Molo, Arevalo, and the City Proper.
Roel handed over a sachet of suspected shabu worth PHP 14,000 to a police poseur buyer. Rommel, Cecelia, and Nene were present during the exchange.
Authorities seized multiple items from the scene, including two knot-tied plastic packs, nine sachets of suspected shabu, and several non-drug items. Police estimate the total weight of the confiscated drugs at 150 grams, with a street value of PHP 1,020,000.
Investigators suspect the group obtains their supply from a distributor, but they are still working to gather further details.
The three adults are now in police custody, while Nene, the minor, is currently under the protection of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.