CDO mayor says son nabbed for illegal drugs ‘gone astray’

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Mayor Oscar Moreno said he was saddened with the arrest of his son for illegal substances, admitting it was difficult for him to understand what led to the current predicament.

Moreno’s eldest son, Sean, 43, was apprehended during a buy-bust operation carried out by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in a hotel in Angeles City on Saturday night, June 29, along with seven other suspects.

“As a father, my first reaction was to ensure his safety while in detention, and to provide legal support,” the mayor said in a statement he released on social media Wednesday afternoon.

However, Moreno said that even if his son “has gone astray, Sean is still my son, whom I took very special care since his birth. I deeply regret the situation

that Sean is in now. I will endlessly continue to struggle thinking about what led him to this”.

Moreno said the situation was “a very difficult time that Sean and the family are going through”.

“But we have to deal with this, and we pray that will still have a bright tomorrow. Thus, in spite of the pains and hurts, I remain undeterred in believing that God will show Sean the way. And we will unqualifiedly support him,” he said.

The other individuals arrested along with younger Moreno were identified by PDEA as Bernice Fabiosa, 21; Ma. Isabel Lawas, 19; Aileen Baldon, 23; Jaime Mendoza, 20; Jessa Scott, 19; Bernadeth Saavedra, 19, and Gregorio Imperial, 26. All are residents of Angeles City.

Confiscated from them were 310 tablets of ecstasy; five capsules of Dimethyl Tripticase; a plastic bottle containing 100 tablets of Valium; three plastic sachets containing suspected kush, described as a more potent cannabis variety; a plastic sachet containing some 0.75 grams of cocaine; and a weighing scale.

Authorities estimated the street value of the seized illicit drugs at around PHP1 million.