Combined operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police (PNP) dismantled five houses that served as drug dens and safe houses of pushers during the implementation of multiple search warrants in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac Jr. said that the five drug dens were searched by joint elements of PDEA Regional Office 1 (PDEA RO1) under Director Adrian Alvariño, PDEA Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (PDEA RO-CAR) under Director Ronald Allan Ricardo and PDEA Special Enforcement Service (PDEA-SES) Northern Luzon under Director Ismael Fajardo, Jr., together with PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Dagupan, Dagupan City Police Station, and Pangasinan Police Provincial Police Office before noon of October 28, 2014.
The drug dens are all located in Sitio Aling, Barangay Pantal, Dagupan City, Pangasinan.
Cacdac said that the operation were implemented by virtue of five search warrants issued by Hon. Caridad Galvez, Presiding Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 43, Dagupan City, Pangasinan which resulted in the arrest of 14 drug personalities and the seizure of 86 plastic sachets containing methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, weighing more or less 15 grams worth almost P35,000, various drug paraphernalia and cash in various denominations which are believed to be proceeds of illegal drug trade.
Arrested during the operation were suspected drug den owners Joenas Garcia, alias Dimas, 37 years old; Arvin Siapo, 27; Manilyn Santos, alias Alyn, 24; while Mark Cariño, 21; Nilo Malasan, 28; Jony Achivida; Joselo Siapo, 51; Nelson Tagulao, 39; and Ronie Pugal, 41, who were spotted inside the den, were also apprehended.
Five other suspects identified as Johndy Zamora, 21; Rodolfo Ortiz, 26; Jeffrey de Guzman, 26; Roldan Tapang, 18; and a 17-year-old minor, who happened to be in the immediate vicinity, were found to be in possession of sachets of shabu when frisked by authorities.
However, suspected drug den owners, Jimmy Cayabyab; and couple Mads and Felizidad de Verra were not around when the lawful searches were conducted. They remain at large.
Garcia, Siapo and Santos will be facing charges for violation of Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 12 (Possession of Paraphernalia), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, while an additional charge for violation of Section 6 (Maintenance of a Drug Den) will be also be filed in court against Garcia.
A case will also be filed against Cariño, Malasan, Achivida, Joselo Siapo, Tagulao, and Pugal, for violation of Section 7 (Visitors of a Drug Den) of RA 9165.
