ORMOC CITY– A former teacher and her alleged live-in partner were arrested during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Can-unzo, Merida, Leyte, at around 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 25.
Police Major Ronald Espina, officer-in-charge of the Merida Municipal Police Station, identified the suspects as alias “Sherwin,” 35, single, a resident of Brgy. Can-unzo, and alias “Fe,” 42, married, a former teacher from Brgy. Mas-in, Ormoc City.
According to authorities, “Fe” was previously dismissed from teaching service following multiple complaints from parents who accused her of attempting to recruit them into illegal drug use.
The couple was the target of the operation, with “Sherwin” allegedly handing over a sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu to a police operative in exchange for P500. During a subsequent body search, police recovered four more sachets containing the same substance, along with the marked P500 bill used in the transaction.
A female officer conducting the search on alias “Fe” recovered two additional sachets suspected to contain shabu, five improvised pickers, five pieces of folded tin foil used as makeshift drug paraphernalia, six empty sachets with traces of suspected shabu, one flashlight case, and a surgical forceps.
Both suspects were informed of their rights in a language they understood before being taken into custody.
Charges for violation of Sections 5 (sale of illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) under Article II of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the two at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Ormoc City.
They are currently detained at the Merida Municipal Police Station.
(ROBERT DEJON)
