Paranaque cemetery bust: Marijuana seized from minor

MANILA, Philippines – The usual solemnity at the Manila Memorial Park was disturbed when police confiscated a sachet of marijuana from a minor who visited the sprawling cemetery on Wednesday.

Police Major Benedicto Balagtas, the area supervisor of the 100-hectare private cemetery, said three minors on board a motorcycle figured in an accident inside the cemetery at around 9:00 a.m. on October 30.

A sachet of marijuana was seized from one of them by responding police officers.

“Sumemplang sila, tatlo sila magkakasama, sugatan eh, so nag-responde ‘yung ambulansya natin, tanod at pulis, ‘yun na… Kumbaga nagpasahan sila, naka-plastic kasi eh, dun na na-discover na may illegal drugs (They figured in an accident and were injured.  When the police and paramedics responded that’s when the marijuana was discovered and confiscated),” Balagtas told INQUIRER.net on Thursday.

Balagtas said the minor who owns the illegal drug was turned over to the Parañaque police while the motorcycle was impounded.

Aside from this, no untoward incident has so far been monitored by authorities here, according to Balagtas.

Because of the incident, however, Balagtas said security in the cemetery was further tightened with the deployment of 70 uniformed police personnel, undercover officers, and volunteers.

More than 5,000 on foot visitors and 600 vehicles crowded the memorial park as of 9:00 a.m. Thursday.  Authorities are expecting around 500,000 to visit the cemetery on November 1 and 2.  /gsg