‘Shabu queen’ runs out of moves
Quezon City’s alleged “shabu queen,” who reportedly supplied drugs to dealers with networks of their own and avoided jail time despite being arrested thrice, finally ran out of moves to elude prosecution, an official said yesterday.
Hapida Ditanongun, alias Madam, 33, was arrested with Justin Oliver de Vera after they were allegedly caught repacking shabu in her condominium unit in Barangay Doña Imelda at around 4 p.m. on Oct. 2.
Police officers reportedly saw De Vera, alias Justin Tino Cornejo, 35, sealing plastic sachets said to contain shabu when Ditanongun opened the door.
Seized from the unit were three plastic sachets and a ziplock bag said to contain shabu, various drug paraphernalia, a folding knife, P6,240 in cash and two hand grenades.
Police also recovered two identification cards with the same picture but different names, Hapida Ditanongun and Hapida Mangoda.
High-value target
Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director, said they consider Ditanongun a high-value target as she reportedly supplies drugs to dealers in the city’s first and fourth districts.
Ditanongun said she used to distribute recycled illegal drugs from “ninja cops,” including slain Senior Inspector Ramon Castillo who was killed in a shootout with fellow police officers after a sting last July.
Eleazar said she was able to avoid jail time by substituting a “proxy,” identified only as Hapie Mona Diampuan, for her after she was arrested by La Loma police officers on July 24, 2015.
Diampuan was allegedly Ditanongun’s former helper and trustee who later developed her own illegal drug network.
The suspect also later took the alias Hapie Mona Diampuan while also going by the names Hapida Mangoda, and Hapie Ampuan.
She was released for lack of evidence in 2013 and was released after she was arrested for possession of illegal drugs last May 5.
Ditanongun was supposedly used as a “milking cow” by erring police officers who would arrest her and then extort money from her in exchange for money for birthday celebrations and other events, the QCPD said.
The suspect allegedly supplied illegal drugs to four top drug pushers in the area whom she identified as Diampuan; Arnel Rivera; Jerry Padre, alias Buto; and Jesus Jonas, alias Jessie Judas.
Jonas, allegedly the top drug personality of the Masambong police station, was killed in a gunfight with police following a drug bust last week.
Connections
Prior to the arrest of Ditanongun and De Vera, Aleli Medina, went to the Galas police station to file a case against the suspect for physical injuries and attempted murder.
Medina told police that Ditanongun woke her up, slapped her around and told De Vera to kill her but she was able to escape.
Medina told police that De Vera served as Ditanongun’s courier and pusher.
Her alleged source, identified by police as Camalia Dirampaten, alias Leah, 43, was arrested in a drug bust during a followup operation along Roces Avenue last Friday.
A sachet of suspected shabu, a mobile phone and P40,000 in marked money were recovered from Dirampaten.
Dirampaten, a resident of Quiapo in Manila, was tagged along with a certain “Tita Sam” as Ditanongun’s source of illegal drugs.
Ditanongun told police that aside from sourcing drugs in Quiapo, she also bought illegal drugs from Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Police said a certain Johaira Abinal, alias Marimar, allegedly controls the drug trade at a Muslim compound in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Abinal was arrested last July 23 on drug charges in Barangay Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro.