25 stalls dismantled at Vendor’s plaza after discovery of ‘drug den’

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Twenty-five stalls were cleared at the Vendor’s Plaza in Barangay 12 here yesterday to prevent individuals from utilizing the place as a venue for illegal activities.

This, after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Negros Occidental dismantled an alleged drug den and arrested three persons in a buy-bust operation at the said place last Monday.

PDEA Agent Bamboo said the subject of the operation was Remia Espartero, 56, of the said village, while two others were identified as JC Dale Clair Monte, 35, of Barangay Alijis here, a banana vendor, and Benjie Despe, 37, of Barangay Singcang-Airport here.

Confiscated from the three suspects were 17 grams of suspected shabu valued at P115,600.

Agent Bamboo said that it took them two weeks to validate the information they received about the reported continuous selling of illegal drugs in the area.

He said that Monte and Despe were allegedly caught in the middle of a “pot session” during the transaction with Espartero.

He said they have conducted the same operation two years ago, but informal settlers may have returned to the vicinity.

“Gin butangan lang nila daw cover ang mga puwesto-puwesto,” he added.

He said they considered the three suspects as high-value targets because they were subjected to a high-impact operation.

Meanwhile, Barangay 12 captain Ely Alcantara, over Aksyon Radyo Bacolod, said they have previously warned those who are staying at the Vendor’s plaza. Most of them are not residents of the said village, he added.

Alcantara said there was no resistance from the affected individuals during the clearing yesterday.

To ensure that the place is free from the influence of illegal activities, Alcantara said that he will deploy some watchmen to secure the area.

He said he will also ask for assistance from the local government through the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) to augment the barangay watchmen.