BONTOC, Mountain Province – Three persons were arrested by combined police operatives and anti-narcotics agents after having found in their alleged possession some twenty two pieces of marijuana in brick and tubular form during a police checkpoint at sitio Cheta, Bontoc Ili, here, Sunday morning.
Police authorities identified the arrested marijuana couriers as Paolalphiny Canilao Octavio, 20, student taking up Bachelor of Arts and Communications at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa and a resident of Las Vegas Street Putatan, Muntinlupa City, Jaden Rongavilla Residuo, 20, a resident of Buli, Muntinlupa City and John Loyd Ocampo Rojales, 21, and a resident of Buli, Muntinlupa City.
Initial police investigation showed that a concerned citizen reportedly tipped police authorities that the suspects were transporting the marijuana bricks and tubes worth over P2.4 million through the use of a passenger jeepney plying the Tinglayan-Bontoc route.
Subsequently, joint personnel of the Bontoc Municipal Police Station and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Mountain Province immediately conducted a police checkpoint in a strategic portion of the Bontoc-Tabuk national road and were able to flag down the identified jeepney where the alleged marijuana couriers were on board.
During the conduct of the routine inspection, 18 pieces of marijuana bricks, 4 pieces of marijuana in tubular form worth a total market value of over P2.4 million, assorted drug paraphernalia, different identification cards and 3 mobile phones were seized from the backpacks of the arrested suspects.
The suspects are now detained at the Bontoc municipal jail awaiting the filing of violation of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs law which are being prepared against them by the apprehending officers.
The police called on concerned citizens to continue providing vital information to the law enforcers on the alleged presence of drug-related activities in their places so that appropriate operations could be established for the arrest of drug suspects and the filing of cases against them.
“We thank the concerned citizen for providing us with this valuable and timely information that lead to the arrest of these suspects. Your police force will continuously conduct proactive operations as we are committed to prevent. If not wipe out the proliferation of all forms of illegal drugs in the region,” Brigadier Israel Ephraim Dickson, PROCOR Regional Director said.
By Dexter A. See