Widower falls in P850K drug sting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A former security guard claimed he was forced to join the illegal drug trade because of his sick wife.

But even with his wife’s death last month, Joebert San Luis allegedly continued dealing drugs until his arrest late evening of Dec 18, 2021 at Barangay Cabugao Sur, Sta Barbara, Iloilo

Police operatives nabbed San Luis, 39, of Barangay Balabag, New Lucena town, after he allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P13,000.

Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6), together with operatives from Sta. Barbara Police Station, the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 6 (RHPU-6) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 6 (CIDG-6)’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Team, mounted the operation after a month of monitoring the suspect.

Recovered from San Luis were 25 sachets of suspected shabu, the P13,000 marked money, P1,000 cash, several drug paraphernalia and non-drug items, and a Rusi motorcycle.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, RPDEU-6 chief, said the seized drugs weighed around 125 grams and valued at around P850,000.

Darroca said San Luis claimed that he started peddling drugs around August 2020.

At that time, his wife was seriously ill, and he needed a big amount of money for her medication.

A friend allegedly offered if he wanted to peddle drugs, which he agreed.

The money he got from illegal drugs sustained him until his wife died in November.

San Luis allegedly claimed that his supplier is from Bacolod City.

The transaction between him and RPDEU operatives was initially set on Friday.

But he postponed it to Saturday night, as he had just arrived from Bacolod City in the morning.

He repacked his supply before he peddled his shabu hoard.

The police poseur buyer was supposed to be his second customer.

Darroca said the suspect had been getting around P1 million worth of shabu in every trip to Bacolod City.

While he is affiliated to no group, San Luis has downlines in the towns of Sta Barbara, New Lucena, Pavia, and in Iloilo City.

San Luis is now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).