Authorities arrested two Ati-Atihan festivalgoers for possessing illegal drugs at a pedestrian screening area in along Rizal Street, Poblacion, Kalibo, Aklan on Saturday, January 18.
Officers identified the suspects as a 32-year-old seafarer from Barangay Jumarap, Banga, Aklan, and a 29-year-old resident of Barangay Pajarito, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Police found suspected dried marijuana on both individuals during separate searches. Officers discovered a transparent plastic box containing marijuana in the seafarer’s denim pocket.
Meanwhile, they confiscated marijuana leaves and seeds wrapped in masking tape from the second suspect’s black coin purse. They also recovered a broken glass tube with burnt marijuana leaves from the same suspect.
The 29-year-old suspect denied owning the marijuana, claiming a companion planted the items in his coin purse. The seafarer admitted to trying marijuana due to peer pressure.
Authorities will charge both suspects under Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
They will also file additional charges against the second suspect for possessing drug paraphernalia under Section 12 of the same law.
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, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.