Surgeon nabbed for drug pushing
An orthopedic surgeon, two retired policemen and six others were arrested in a series of anti-drug operations in Quezon City that started on Tuesday afternoon, officials said yesterday.
Dr. Amante Valdepeñas admitted to using illegal drugs twice a week for the past six years.
Valdepeñas reportedly sold drugs to eight others arrested along with him and sourced his supply from an insider in the New Bilibid Prison, according to Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District director.
He formerly practiced medicine at the General Malvar Hospital along Commonwealth Avenue and previously trained at the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City. He also worked for hospitals in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
Valdepeñas was arrested with his alleged driver Raymond Valle, 42, and retired Senior Police Officer 1 Rommel Nogoy, 52, during a sting along Quezon Avenue in Barangay South Triangle at around 2 a.m. yesterday.
Galas police also arrested Leni de Guzman and PO3 Almario Cristobal, 53, after they allegedly approached Valdepeñas while he was transacting with an undercover policeman, asking for the items they bought earlier.
Valdepeñas reportedly handed each of them a sachet of shabu.
Mark Anthony Pangilinan, 25, and Maybell Tulang, 19, also identified the doctor as their supplier. They were arrested along Kapilingan street in Barangay Doña Imelda around two hours later.
On Tuesday, Galas police arrested Norman Ulit, 40, for selling a sachet said to contain shabu to undercover operatives along N. Ramirez street in Barangay Manuel at around 3:30 p.m.
Hermie Castro, 49, was arrested yesterday morning in a sting set up after Valdepeñas received a text message on his phone ordering P1,000 worth of shabu.
Eleazar said P50,000 worth of shabu in 18 sachets and marked money were seized during the series of operations.
6 alleged pushers caught in Manila
In Manila, police arrested six persons in separate stings since Tuesday night.
Raymundo Buenarte and a 16-year-old boy were arrested along Crisolta street in San Andres at around 1:30 a.m. yesterday. Ten sachets of shabu, weighing a total of 3.1 grams and with a street value of P2,000, were seized from them.
Romeo Bacister, 28, was caught along Quirino Avenue in Paco around half an hour earlier. Two sachets said to contain shabu were confiscated from him.
Four sachets of alleged shabu were seized from Eriven Delgado, 32, and pedicab drivers Donaldo Morera, 42, and Rey John Macabingil, 41, at the corner of Zobel Roxas and Arellano street yesterday.