More women engaged in drug trade—PDEA

More and more women are getting involved in the illegal drug trade, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Thursday.

PDEA Director General Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. noted a rising trend in the involvement of females in illicit drug activities, particularly drug pushing, and warned that the phenomenon could lead to drug abuse becoming more commonplace among families.

Data consolidated by the agency showed that 927 women were arrested on drug charges in 2011, representing a six percent increase from the 872 arrested women the year before.

“Taking a closer look at the data reveals that 76 percent of the females arrested by PDEA in 2011 are classified as pushers. This is higher than the 72 percent recorded in 2010,” Gutierrez said in a statement.

The arrest of three female drug pushers on February 6 in separate buy-bust operations supported the observation, he said.

Watch list

A 27-year-old pregnant woman in Valencia, Bukidnon, identified as Razil Abergas, was arrested by operatives from the PDEA Regional Office 10 after she handed over a sachet containing shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, to an undercover agent.

Abergas is included in the PDEA watch list. Further search on the suspect yielded another plastic sachet of shabu and assorted paraphernalia with shabu residue.

On the same day, two other female pushers, Edna Gandulan, a 21-year-old vegetable vendor, and Wayda Cato, a 25-year-old barbeque stick maker, were caught by PDEA RO 12 in Balauan, General Santos City, carrying a plastic sachet containing shabu.

Abergas is temporarily detained in the Valencia City Police Station, while Gandulan and Cato are under the custody of PDEA Region 12.

They were charged with the selling and possession of dangerous drugs in violation of Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

“This trend [the increased involvement of women in illegal drug activities] is very alarming,” Gutierrez said.

“Women, based on Filipino culture and tradition, are the primary characters who are supposed to mold and keep the family together,” he added.

“With the increasing number of women being arrested for drug-related crimes, it will not be surprising if we wake up one morning to a generation where ‘drug-pushing’ is an accepted way of life,” Gutierrez said.