Couple nabbed in P353-K ‘shabu’ bust

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police arrested a couple for allegedly possessing 52 grams of suspected shabu worth P353,600 in a buy-bust operation at Sitio Pulo, Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental last Wednesday.

The subjects were identified as Ma. Chin-Chin Grace Cuadra, and her live-in partner Jeffrey Fuentes, 24, both residents of the said village.

Also recovered from them were the P7,500 marked money, a .45 caliber firearm, a magazine, and 15 live ammunition.

Cuadra’s name was listed on a paper that was left in a garbage area in Barangay 2 here last month, along with two severed hands, according to the police.

Police Captain Jonito Pastrana, head of Police Station 2, said that it is possible that the “Chin-Chin Cuadra” that was listed on the paper is the same person that was arrested in Silay City.

Pastrana said that only 12 out of 21 persons listed on the paper met the police for a dialogue. Cuadra and her mother did not surface, he added.

In fact, a policeman and two casual government employees here were also included in the list. But the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) earlier denied the allegation.

Pastrana also earlier dismissed the allegation against one of his personnel.

Pastrana said that Chin-Chin is related to the Cuadras’ who were linked to illegal drugs here.

“Isa man lang ang “Chin-Chin Cuadra” na kilala ko sa area namon,” he said.

For his part, Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), said the suspect denied that she is the person that was listed on the paper.

Catalogo said it would be hard for the police to identify those persons on the list because there are no specific details stated about them.

“Kabudlay mag prove nga siya gid,” Catalogo said, though the suspect told the police that she was from Bacolod and has been living in Silay City for several months now.

Catalogo said the suspects are considered high-value individuals in Silay City.