14-year-old ‘courier’, former cop among 4 caught in Calamba
A 14-year-old boy whose mother is serving time in Muntinlupa for a drug-related case was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City.
He allegedly had some P300,000 worth of shabu with him. He wasn’t the only one.
The PDEA team also reported the arrest of three other persons in the same barangay, including former PO1 Julius Cuyos, who joined the police force seven years ago but has allegedly failed to report for duty since 2015.
PDEA 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said he will include Melvin (real name withheld because he’s a minor) in the criminal complaints for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
“He has been in and out of jail,” said Ruiz. The boy’s arrest comes amid debate on a proposal to make children as young as nine years old liable for crimes.
Ex-policeman Cuyos, for his part, said he only went to the home of Edgar Echavez Rafols, 61, to get a TV antenna fixed.
But PDEA said they raided the house, which they described as a drug den, at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday and caught Cuyos, 38, along with Grace Cañete Escopete, 35. Escopete said she was just there to babysit.
A 14-year-old suspected drug courier and a police officer who has not reported for duty since 2015 were among the four persons arrested in separate buy-busts in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City.
More than P400,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives during these operations.
PDEA 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said he will include Melvin (real name withheld for being a minor) in the complaints for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Operatives seized 100 grams of white crystals believed to be shabu, worth about P300,000, from Melvin. His mother is de- tained at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after she was convicted of drug charges.
Ruiz said the social workers allowed him to charge the boy, whose father died when he was only two years old. Melvin was cuaght at 3:15 a.m. yesterday.
“He has been in and out of jail,” said Ruiz.
Melvin’s older brother is detained in the Cebu City Jail while his drug case is pending in court. His other siblings sell used clothes and bags.
During his visits to the jail, Melvin said he would often give P500 to his brother, who always advised him to take care of himself.
“Only my brother in the city jail knows that I’m a courier,” said Melvin.
Last Tuesday, at 7:40 p.m., PO1 Julius Cuyos, 38, was caught along with Grace Cañete Escopete, 35, and Edgar Echavez Rafols, 61, in the drug den allegedly operated by Rafols.
Cuyos entered the police service in 2007 and was first assigned to the Mandaue City Police Office before he was transferred to the Cebu Provincial Police Office. In 2015, he went absent withouth official leave (Awol) .
“I stopped reporting to work because I did not have money for fare. I was in debt and had family problems. I used drugs before but I’ve stopped because I no longer have money,” he said.
Cuyos was already dropped from the list of active police officers. /