Lawmen arrest 6 persons for pushing illegal drugs

BAGUIO CITY – Six persons were nabbed in this city last week by lawmen for pushing illegal drugs.

One of the suppliers of a drug group in the Cordillera, who is also a member of a drug group in the Ilocos Region, was arrested here at Lower Magsaysay Ave., August 4 at around 6 p.m.

The female suspect was identified as Phil Sanchez y Cayabyab alias “Tikka”, 39, married, elementary school graduate and resident of Dagupan City in Pangasinan.

Sanchez was entrapped by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency- Cordillera during a buy-bust operation, when she sold two sachets of shabu to a PDEA agent posing as buyer.

Earlier, on July 12, two barbers and a tattoo artist, all members of a top local drug group in Baguio, were apprehended with three sachets of shabu during a buy-bust operation by PDEA agents at Upper Gen. Luna Rd., Upper Mabini around 5:30 p.m.

The suspects were identified as Salvador Palamos y Ramos, 20, single, college undergraduate, barber of Labrador, Pangasinan and resident of Gibraltar Rd., Mines View, Baguio.

His older brother, Antonio Palamos y Ramos, 33, married, high school graduate, barber, native and resident of the same place was also nabbed along with Neil Aquino y Bagwang, 25, single, college undergraduate, a tattoo artist of Lagayan, Abra and resident of Upper San Vicente, Baguio City.

About a week later, on July 19, one Jimmy Ramirez y Gundran, 38, married, elementary school graduate, unemployed, native of Maitum, South Cotabato and resident of Upper Crystal Cave , Bakakeng Central, Baguio, was nabbed near his residence during an entrapment operation by PDEA agents around 12 noon.

He allegedly sold four bricks of dried marijuana fruiting tops approximately weighing four kilos valued at P100,000 to one of the operatives who acted as buyer.

An added twelve bricks of dried marijuana fruiting tops weighing 11.8 kilos worth of P295,000.00 were likewise seized from Nelio Sacpa y Bagesbes when he was caught transporting the contraband on board a Dangwa Tranco at around 2:45 p.m. July 8 at the Lomon junction in Paykek, Kapangan, Benguet.

Sacpa, 25, single, is a native of Kibungan, Benguet and resident of Japa, Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet.

The arrest began from a tip-off through a text message from a concerned citizen that led to an anti-drug checkpoint operation carried out by a team from the regional PDEA and Kapangan police.