Marijuana biz hub found in Taguig

UNEXPECTED FIND Alleged drug pusher Princess Cordero hides her face after she was arrested for selling marijuana leaves.—RICHARD A. REYES

An “unusual high number” of minors, mostly high school students, loitering in an area in Taguig City turned out to be a hub of a booming marijuana business run by an 18-year-old woman and her live-in partner.

Policemen from the Tipas police community precinct (PCP-5) arrested Princess Cordero inside their rented house on J. Ramos Street, Barangay Ibayo-Tipas, around 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Too many minors loitering

Seized from Cordero were 180 sachets of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia, worth P22,500.

Her live-in partner, identified through his alias “Aging,” escaped by jumping off the third floor of the house.

Senior Supt. Alexander Santos, Taguig police chief, said they had been monitoring Cordero for three weeks after receiving reports that they were selling drugs to high school students.

Very affordable

“We found it suspicious when we arrested too many minors loitering outside the house of Cordero during our Sacleo (simultaneous anticriminality and law enforcement operations),” said Senior Insp. Joy  Opalec, PCP-5 commander.

He said that for the past months, they  rounded up more than 10 minors per operation, which they conduct thrice a week.

Police intelligence later found out that Aging and Cordero, who both studied at the Tipas National High School, sold illegal drugs to their former classmates and students of nearby Pasig and Pateros.

“Instead of selling in blocks, they sold marijuana in sachets at P125 each to become very affordable to the students,” said Opalec.

Cordero admitted selling the drugs. But she did not name her source, saying “they were only dropped in our place.”

Cordero was detained at the Taguig police station, facing a charge of possession of illegal drugs. A manhunt was also launched for Aging.

Crackdown on loiterers

Last week, President Duterte ordered an intensified crackdown on street loiterers.

In Metro Manila alone, more than 7,000 vagrants have been rounded up.

Directive slammed

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde clarified that police only arrested “tambay” (colloquial for standby) who violated city ordinances, including smoking, drinking liquor,  urinating or being half-naked in public places.

Human rights group and opposition lawmakers, however, slammed the President’s new directive, calling it reminiscent of martial law and might lead to policemen’s abuse of authority. —With reports from Joseph Sebastian Javier and Roselie Mari Villaflor