MANILA, Philippines — Police in Quezon City arrested 17 persons, including a retired colleague, in a raid on the home of a suspected drug peddler in Barangay Old Balara early Wednesday morning, January 31.
Most of those arrested were customers of the subject of the search warrant served by Quezon City Police District Station 6, Rhea Salenga, of Laura Street.
Police surveillance video taken before the raid showed Salenga carrying on a transaction with an undercover agent posing as a buyer and also handing drugs to customers engaged in a session on her house’s second floor.
Despite this,Salenga denied engaging in the illicit trade.
Station 6 commander Superintendent Russel Cejas said they had long had Salenga under surveillance and established that the store and “video karera” operation she ran were fronts to conceal the drug den in her home.
Former policeman Rodolfo Aspril, one Salenga’s customers, admitted using drugs and claimed he was driven to the vice by personal problems and the influence of friends.
nahiya nga pero ito yung sinasbai ng dala mg matinding problema hiwalay ng asawa 28 years in the service po2 lang so masakit sa kalooban ko.
Old Balara barangay captain Allan Franza admitted Salenga was in the village’s drug watchlist as were several of her customers, a number of whom had even heeded the call to give themselves up under Oplan Tokhang.
The arrested suspects are:
- Rhea Gavarra Salenga alias Rhea
- Regine Cadusale Catapusan, 40
- Joselito Guevarra Bugay, 53
- Warly Dela Pesa Gastador, 38
- Rodel Miraflores Zamora, 34
- Buen Berico Dinaga, 46
- Roel Jamila Bulanon, 40
- Gladys santiago Romero, 26
- Jerome Forcadilla Guevarra, 37
- Retired PO2 Rodolfo Biabyan Aspril
- Restituto Gayon Santos, 32
- Roland Anis Neri, 32
- Leo Perez Espinosa, 29
- JC Ensina Membela, 27
- Mabel Barrameda Puquindo, 49
- Joel Maynete Canales, 42
- Aladin Callot Ablay
Seized during the raid were 37 sachets of crystal meth or shabu worth some P170,000.