8 nabbed, including carnival workers in drug string

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police arrested eight persons, including a vendor and carnival workers in separate buy-bust operations here and in Silay City, Negros Occidental in the past two days.

In Silay City, a vendor and six carnival workers were busted with 13 grams of suspected shabu worth P88,400 in a makeshift tent at the public plaza in Barangay III yesterday.

Police Major Rhea Sarah Villanueva, city police chief, identified the subjects of the operation as Joemarie Cervo, 28, of Victorias City, and Rodolfo Leonoras, 42, a vendor, of Silay City.

Five others from the cities of Silay and Cadiz, and Hinigaran town were also caught allegedly holding a “pot session,” according to Villanueva.

Villanueva said they immediately acted on a report regarding the alleged illegal activity in the said area and caught these personalities.

Police also recovered from them the P1,000 marked money and drug paraphernalia.

Villanueva said the carnival has already stopped operating last week after the city’s festival ended, but these workers have yet to leave the area.

Meanwhile, in Bacolod, an alleged former drug offender was also arrested after he allegedly yielded 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000 in Barangay Singcang-Airport here last Sunday.

Police identified the subject as Esrael Trazo.

Police Captain Melvin Mercado, head of Police Station 8, said that Trazo was previously arrested for a drug offense and was released from jail five months ago.

Mercado said they subjected him to the drug bust after receiving reports about his alleged illegal activity in the area. “Kilala gid na da siya sa lugar nga ga amo na, that’s why gin tutukan namon,” he added.