Suspected pusher who passed drug test charged

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Drug charges were filed against a 23-year-old woman who claimed that the alleged illegal drugs recovered from her were “planted.”

Charges for violation of Sections 5 (possession) and 11 (selling) of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) were filed Tuesday morning against Cristy Joy Evangelio before the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

Police Master Sergeant El Lago, Sigma Municipal Police Station investigator, confirmed that the urine drug test conducted on Evangelio, 23, was negative for illegal drugs.

Police also clarified that the P6,000 cash which the suspect withdrew from a money remittance center before the buy-bust operation were turned over to her family.

Police Lt. Reynaldo Lata, Sigma police chief, stood pat on his earlier statement that they conducted a legitimate operation that followed proper procedures.

“We conducted almost 3 months of monitoring regarding on her illegal activities where she has clients in Mambusao, Dao and Ivisan of illegal drugs coming from Roxas City”, Lata said.

But Evangelio claimed the illegal items recovered from her were planted.

“Waay tinyo nahadlok sa Diyos! Indi ta na akon! Ginbuligan ko kamo, dakpon niyo takon! Diyos man giyapon bahala sa inyo!” Evangelio said.

This was the strong statement of Evangelio who was emotional shortly after she was collared by the police during the drug buy-bust operation held in Barangay Amaga, Sigma, Capiz afternoon of July 25, 2022.

She said she did not possess illegal items during that time and she never used illegal substances.

Evangelio was arrested by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) Station Drug Enforcement Team from Sigma, Sapian, and lvisan Municipal Police Stations in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA 6).

Recovered from her were two sachets of suspected shabu, cellphone, P1,000 marked money, another empty plastic sachet, and a motorcycle.